Are job creation and investment in City Marketing sufficient measures to tackle the Brussels-Capital Region's debt? Benjamin Dalle (CD&V), Françoise De Smedt (PTB) and Pascal Smet (Vooruit) answer these questions in the latest electoral debate organised by BECI.
With less than two months to go to the next elections, Benjamin Dalle (CD&V), Françoise De Smedt (PTB) and Pascal Smet (Vooruit) closed the final evening of the electoral debates organised by BECI. For several weeks now, the Brussels Chamber of Commerce and the Union of Enterprises in Brussels have been calling on the regional representatives of the political parties to discuss the major challenges facing the Brussels-Capital Region. These challenges, identified by BECI in its memorandum, include three fundamental and interdependent areas: employment, attractiveness and efficient governance.
‘If you were a Minister in the next government, how would you go about improving its effectiveness? The regional election candidates from the CD&V, PTB and Vooruit parties answered this question posed by Jan De Brabanter, CEO a.i. of BECI, during a lively discussion.
Building, renovating and business
In its memorandum, BECI recalls the major task facing the Brussels-Capital Region: to aim for an employment rate of 80% by 2030. During the third electoral debate organised by BECI, the Brussels Minister for Employment, Bernard Clerfayt, pointed out that to achieve this objective, more than 120,000 talented people need to enter the labour market. According to Françoise De Smedt, this rate can only be achieved if unskilled people are trained for the job, and specifically for occupations in short supply. ‘We need to train where there are job opportunities’, explains the Member of the Brussels Parliament, drawing attention to the renovation and construction sectors, which she describes as “promising”. What's more, this branch of activity is also helping to create more housing in the Region.
To make these sectors attractive, the head of the PTB's Brussels list would like to improve the pay conditions for these professions, which are in short supply. ‘Raising wages also allows people to consume more, and thus to get the economy moving’, she argues. Pascal Smet agrees, insisting that ‘Brussels must be able to pay fairly’. In other words, the more a sector is short of labour, the more wages should rise.
‘Brussels’ biggest problem is simultaneously its solution'
- Benjamin Dalle
Benjamin Dalle points out that around 250,000 Brussels residents of working age are unemployed. However, this figure also represents the Region's potential talent: ‘Brussels’ biggest problem is simultaneously its solution', says the Flemish Minister for Brussels Affairs. In particular, he is encouraging young people to become entrepreneurs.
Brussels, perfectly imperfect?
City Marketing was at the heart of this fourth electoral debate. Under the slogan ‘Perfectly Imperfect’, this initiative supports the promotion of Brussels abroad in all its forms: both through its image and through its businesses. ‘We need to sell Brussels better to attract investors’, explains Pascal Smet. For this reason, the former Brussels Secretary of State stresses the importance of allocating funds to City Marketing.
However, Benjamin Dalle disagrees. In his view, ‘the best city marketing strategy comes from the initiatives of the city itself, not from the marketers’. The head of the CD&V regional list has his doubts about the slogan of this approach: how can you successfully sell something that is imperfect? To this question, Pascal Smet replies: ‘Brussels is an imperfect city, but that's the reality, and we can't sell something that isn't true’, before adding: ‘and that's how the people of Brussels feel at home’.
‘Our Region is no longer attractive, because the middle class is leaving more and more, mainly because of the problems of attractiveness and mobility. And yet we need them to keep our businesses running, so we have to do everything we can to keep them in Brussels,’ laments Françoise De Smedt. To encourage them to stay, the leader of the PTB Brussels group would like to reduce the cost of rents, which have risen considerably in recent years in relation to incomes.
Saving money at all costs
Faced with the Brussels-Capital Region's colossal debt, BECI expects political representatives to come up with solutions to counter it. While Françoise De Smedt advocates taxing billionaires, so that the money can be reinvested in society, Benjamin Dalle is focusing on job creation to generate additional income.
The CD&V candidate also insists on prioritising the Region's fundamental tasks (namely mobility, employment, housing, security and cleanliness), and putting aside non-essential construction, such as a museum on the roof of a shopping centre or on a canal, or the construction of metro line 3. According to him, this would already save almost €100 million. But Pascal Smet disagrees, saying that this is precisely what makes Brussels so attractive.
‘Brussels produces more than 17% of Belgium's GDP’
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Françoise De Smedt
In order to limit regional debt, Benjamin Dalle also proposes streamlining structures and merging municipalities at some point. This approach could save the Region almost €100 million. However, Pascal Smet is more in favour of merging districts (e.g. hub.brussels with visit.brussels) than merging municipalities.
Françoise De Smedt advocates refinancing the federal government. ‘Brussels produces more than 17% of Belgian GDP. It's only natural that if it produces a lot of wealth, it should get some of it back.
In summary
Despite the disagreements, everyone seems to recognise the major challenges facing Brussels. In order to tackle them, it is imperative for the Brussels Region to generate employment, reduce expenditure and make Brussels more attractive. BECI hopes that by 2030, the Brussels-Capital Region will succeed in its objective of becoming a dynamic and exemplary city.