Despite earlier deadlines, Bouchez has not succeeded in pressing Open VLD and CD&V to join a Dutch-speaking majority in Brussels.

MR’s new strategy includes inviting Defi and Ecolo into negotiations, though a Brussels majority remains unlikely given Dutch-speaking representation issues and rival positions from Groen and Vooruit.

Tensions in Brussels politics pivot on attempts to form a Dutch-speaking majority-led regional government, after the PS walked away following insults from Open VLD that were deemed a breach of trust.

Georges-Louis Bouchez of MR and Ahmed Laaouej of the PS Brussels met in a tense session aimed at restarting talks, with the PS having pulled back after the Open VLD flare-up.

Bouchez’s bid for a Brussels regional government with a double majority and a 2026 budget failed to secure a governing coalition.

Open VLD remains rigid, tying any Dutch-speaking majority to a concrete one-billion-euro budget effort before agreeing to broader coalition terms.

Negotiators fret Bouchez may keep pressing deadlines and mission deadlines, creating a non-binding, ‘dead man walking’ dynamic in talks.

The talks are fragile, part of a repeating pattern in Brussels coalition formation where Bouchez’s efforts struggle to gain traction.

Bouchez held multiple attempts, including a midday session, to shift Open VLD’s stance, but the talks yielded no progress.

Groen and Vooruit rejected the idea of a MR-led government, urging a return to business as usual or suggesting another party should lead.

Laaouej’s silence on calls led Bouchez to conclude the PS had effectively self-excluded, prompting a shift to consider other democratic forces for a Brussels coalition.

There is growing doubt about breaking the bloc, with discussions resurfacing about a government without MR, as Ecolo shows openness to participation.