Formation timeline

Bouchez initiative: 7-party negotiation

On 8 February 2026, the MR president announces an unprecedented 7-party negotiation process to form a Brussels government. Configuration: MR, PS, Les Engagés on the French-speaking side; Groen, Vooruit, Anders (ex-Open VLD), CD&V on the Dutch-speaking side. A first meeting is convened for Monday 9 February.

Concretely restarts the formation with an unprecedented configuration that commands a double linguistic majority, without the N-VA.

Second year of provisional twelfths

The Brussels Parliament votes a new provisional twelfths ordinance, marking the start of a second full year without a regional budget. The Court of Audit publishes a warning on the accelerating deterioration of regional finances.

Renders the budgetary situation critical and adds concrete financial pressure to the citizen and parliamentary pressure for the formation of a government.

Emergency parliamentary debate on the formation crisis

The Brussels Parliament holds an emergency debate on the formation crisis. Members from several parties table a resolution calling for the exploration of alternative formulas, including a thematic emergency government.

Translates citizen pressure into parliamentary initiative and opens the way for unprecedented institutional solutions.

Petition for a thematic emergency government

A citizen petition calling for the establishment of a 'thematic emergency government' gathers a significant number of signatures within days. The initiative proposes separating concrete emergencies from institutional questions.

Introduces into the public debate the idea of a government with a limited mandate, focused on emergencies, as an alternative to the classical formation process.

The respect.brussels collective brings together all 11 Brussels parties

On 1 February 2026, the citizen collective respect.brussels brings representatives of all 11 Brussels parties around the same table. Emergence of the 'demineurs' principle and lifting of vetoes that had been blocking the formation.

Creates a precedent for citizen-political dialogue, produces a demineurs duo, and brings parties that had stopped communicating back around the same table.

Citizen protest: 600 days without government

On 30 January 2026, between 600 and 800 Brussels residents gather at Place de la Bourse to protest 600 days without a regional government. The collectives Respect Brussels and We Are Brussels organise this first citizen mobilisation linked to the formation crisis.

Introduces a new actor -- the citizens -- into the formation crisis and catalyses the round table initiative of 1 February with all 11 parties.

Resignation of the third formateur

The third formateur submits a resignation to the President of the Brussels Parliament after a key Dutch-speaking partner refuses to commit. It is the end of the most advanced formation attempt since the June 2024 elections.

Closes the fifth formation round and plunges Brussels into an unprecedented political crisis, triggering an unprecedented citizen mobilisation.

Resignation of the formateur (5th round)

The formateur officially submits a resignation to the President of the Brussels Parliament on 20 January 2026, ending the fifth formation round. The seventh political figure to fail in an informateur or formateur role.

Definitively closes round 5, surpasses the federal record of 541 days without a government, and catalyses citizen mobilisation (respect.brussels).

Refusal of a key Dutch-speaking partner

At the point of finalising the 'Guinness' coalition agreement, a key Dutch-speaking partner refuses to commit, citing insufficient guarantees for its community in regional governance.

Derails the most advanced formation attempt since the start of the crisis, sending shockwaves through public opinion and the political world.

Formateur's paper on the 'Guinness' coalition

The third formateur tables a formation paper for an unprecedented six-party coalition, dubbed 'Guinness' by the press. The programme is the most developed since the start of the crisis, including an emergency investment plan.

Represents the most advanced attempt to form a government, with a nearly finalised programme and agreement on the broad budgetary lines.

Designation of the third formateur

The Brussels Parliament designates a third formateur from Les Engages, a pivotal party, with a mandate to attempt an unprecedented six-party coalition combining centre-right and centre-left.

Relaunches the classical formation process one final time, with the pressure of a Region that has been in caretaker mode for over 17 months.

Failure of the facilitation

The facilitator submits a final report concluding that a framework agreement on linguistic balances is unattainable. The facilitation ends without result, after more than two months of consultations.

Closes the facilitation avenue and returns the formation to the classical parliamentary framework, with a reinforced sense of deadlock.

Facilitator's framework proposal

The facilitator tables a framework proposal aimed at reconciling the demands of the two linguistic groups. The text proposes reinforced governance mechanisms for the Dutch-speaking minority while preserving demographic proportionality.

Offers an unprecedented basis for compromise but draws reservations from both sides, with each group considering the proposal to favour the other.

Facilitator consultations on institutional bilingualism

The facilitator organises separate and then joint consultations with the two linguistic groups of the Brussels Parliament on representation guarantees and decision-making mechanisms.

Highlights the extent of the gap between the linguistic groups on institutional governance, beyond mere programmatic disagreements.

Designation of the facilitator

The President of the Brussels Parliament designates a facilitator to attempt to resolve the government formation deadlock. This is a first at the Brussels level, underscoring the exceptional gravity of the crisis.

Introduces a neutral external actor outside the regional political arena to attempt to unlock the linguistic balance question.

Summer 2025 formation stalemate

The formation negotiations slow to a crawl during the summer of 2025. The formateur fails to present a budget paper accepted by the six partners. The mission stalls without a formal resignation.

Prompts Parliament's decision to change approach and designate a facilitator, a first at the Brussels regional level.

Deadlock over budget and ministerial portfolios

The progressive coalition negotiations stall over the distribution of ministerial portfolios and the budgetary framework. With six parties at the table, the allocation of competences becomes an intractable puzzle.

Undermines the positive momentum created by the policy paper and raises doubts about the ability of six parties to govern together.

Formateur's paper on the progressive coalition

The second formateur tables a detailed policy paper for the expanded progressive coalition, covering the priorities of housing, mobility, employment and climate.

First government programme proposal achieving agreement in principle on the broad orientations, but leaving budgetary questions and portfolio allocation unresolved.

Designation of the second formateur

The Brussels Parliament designates a second formateur from the PS, tasked with negotiating a government agreement on the basis of the expanded progressive coalition recommended by the informateurs.

Relaunches the formation dynamic with a specific formula and a formateur from the largest party in the recommended coalition.

Informateurs' recommendation report

The informateurs submit their report to the President of the Brussels Parliament, recommending the designation of a formateur with a mandate to negotiate an expanded six-party progressive coalition.

Positively concludes the information phase and steers the formation towards a specific formula, the first to combine a potential bilingual majority.

Expanded consultations by the informateurs

The informateurs conduct systematic consultations with all parties in the Brussels Parliament, including those in the opposition, to identify viable coalition configurations.

Identifies the expanded progressive coalition as the only formula with potential for a majority in both linguistic groups.

Designation of the duo of informateurs

The Brussels Parliament designates a duo of informateurs from Les Engages and Groen to explore all possible coalition configurations after the failure of the Arizona formula.

Marks a change of approach with a bilingual duo and an expanded exploration mandate, without a predefined formula.

Vote on the first provisional twelfths

The Brussels Parliament votes the provisional twelfths ordinance for the first quarter of 2025, allowing the Region to continue operating without a new budget or a new government.

Confirms the entry into a crisis budgetary regime that limits investments and erodes the Region's capacities.

Deadlock over the linguistic majority

The Arizona coalition fails to secure a majority in the Dutch-speaking linguistic group of the Brussels Parliament. The formateur acknowledges the structural deadlock of the formula.

Reveals the arithmetical impossibility of the Arizona formula in Brussels and opens reflection on alternative configurations.

Formateur's paper on the Brussels Arizona coalition

The formateur tables a formation paper proposing a government programme based on the Arizona coalition (MR-Les Engages-CD&V-Vooruit), covering budget, mobility and housing.

First concrete government programme proposal, crystallising party positions for and against the formula.

Party consultations by the first formateur

The formateur initiates a series of bilateral consultations with the parties represented in the Brussels Parliament to assess coalition possibilities under the Arizona formula.

First mapping of party positions since the elections, already revealing tensions around the proposed formula.

Designation of the first formateur

The Brussels Parliament designates a formateur from the MR to attempt to form a regional government. This marks the official start of the formation process following the elections of 9 June 2024.

Formally launches the coalition negotiations at the Brussels regional level.