Brussels will shape the future. If Brussels is prospering, the other Regions will prosper too. We must not be a colony of Flanders or an annex to Wallonia. Brussels must take its future into its own hands. Inhabitants of Brussels come from everywhere and the only thing that connects them is Brussels. That is why Brussels is more than just a city, it is a state of mind, a meeting place with assets and missed opportunities in equal number. Politics is the art of the possible. Politics must create space, thereby enabling people to realize their dreams. Politics must promote creativity, cherish entrepreneurs. Politics must empower. Brussels needs a new urban movement which is 100% Brussels. I want to make this possible. With our vision, our candidates, 20 things to do and together with you!
Those who rent will become poorer. Those who rent are being squeezed. First and foremost the weakest tenants are getting punched by landlords and energy suppliers, particularly once they have reached the age of retirement. We want to provide rent premiums for those who have been on a waiting list for council housing for more than five years, thereby protecting the weakest.
Brussels lacks a museum for modern and contemporary art worthy of the name. We need just such a museum near the canal, a striking building hosting a carefully selected collection and eye-catching exhibitions.
Sometimes solutions can be found on cloud nine. How do we easily reach the new soccer stadium? By using the silent ‘Skytrain’ departing from the Gard du Nord via Tour & Taxis and Heysel to the soccer stadium. Innovation, creativity and imagination will provide more and better public transportation.
The Skytrain links the North Station to the north-west of Brussels, all the way to the new football ground to be built by 2020, and passing by the Tour&Taxis site.
Reserving a room in the hotel named day-care centre
The future of any child starts with the well-being of the parents. With the opportunities the parents get at work, with the opportunities to have affordable child care. The latter is lacking and is not always provided where it is needed most. We want to provide space for day-care centres and to open them in convenient locations.
The Canal District needs more love. Away with the scrap heaps, away with grey industries. We want water to be an asset and turn the Canal District into a green area where people can meet, relax, live, dream and enjoy themselves.
Europe wants 1 coach for every 60 persons looking for work. Brussels offers one coach for 300 people. We must do better. People leaving school who do not find a job should be provided with training and apprenticeships within four months. Brussels must invest heavily in coaching, in a fast lane to jobs.
As few as 1 teacher in 10 lives in the City of Brussels. We want to attract more teachers to live in the city by exempting them from municipal and regional taxes. In this way, the teachers’ room will become as diverse as the classroom. A win-win situation
Trading in traffic jam misery in exchange for a better quality of life
Less is more. Particularly insofar as company cars are concerned. Fewer cars means less traffic jams, better quality of life and cleaner air to breathe. Finally we want to offer the inhabitants of Brussels the choice to trade in their company cars in exchange for housing premiums.
We want Brussels to become the digital capital of the future by offering 24 hour free access to Wifi. Surf everywhere, in parks, on squares, on the underground and in trams. All administrative services will be easily accessible online. No more queues at the counter.
We want Brussels to become a child-friendly city: you are entitled to an easy access to the city, even with a pram, you should be able to meet your neighbours in a ‘play street’ and there must be a play area within walking distance from your house.
Brussels is multilingual and the future is multilingual. Parents wishing to do so should be able to choose a bilingual primary school. This will become a reality if we organize multilingual education as a form of ‘methodical education’.
Connecting Brussels also means connecting Europe with Brussels
German, British, Dutch, Norwegian, French, Spanish and Italian progressive groups and 100% Brussels come together at the occasion of the annual sister parties reception. We all want to be part of a joint progressive project for Brussels: 100% Brussels.