60,000 people demonstrated in Brussels against the new Belgian government’s policies which affect pension reform, unemployment and hospital funding.
Ten days after its formation, the Belgian government is already having to deal with large protests and strikes.
Police said around 60,000 people took to the streets of Brussels on Thursday to oppose the new government’s right-wing turn and defend public services.
In their eyes, a series of budget cuts announced by the country’s coalition government, nicknamed “Arizona” and led by Flemish nationalist Bart de Wever, would affect pensions, unemployment and hospital funding.
“This is a real attack on the purchasing power of pensioners, because they will have to work longer to get a smaller pension,” Thierry Bodson, President of the Belgian General Federation of Labour (FGTB), told Euronews.
“There have to be rules that are adapted to the job and to the arduous nature of the jobs,” he added.
Austerity measures
In 2025, the statutory retirement age was raised from 65 to 66, and is set to rise to 67 by 2030. The new executive wants to go further by targetting preferential schemes for military personnel and railway workers.
While the government wants to increase military spending to 2% of GDP by 2029, it also plans to raise the retirement age for the military from 56 to 67.
“We have a special calculation for our pensions, and now they want to take it away. Young people joined the army to serve the army and serve the country under certain conditions. And now, during the game, they’re changing those conditions,” David, who is employed by the military, told Euronews.
While unemployment benefits currently do not have a time limit in Belgium, the executive now wants to introduce a cap of up to two years. A ban on working on Sundays could also be abolished.
Nursing staff are worried that the reform of hospital funding will have an impact on the quality of care.
“Things are already not going well in nursing homes. We’re not being replaced. There’s just one care assistant for a whole floor,” Marguerite Ilboudo, a caregiver, told Euronews.
“With the budget cuts, it’s going to get worse. We won’t even be able to look after our elderly. That’s what they’ve worked for, to be looked after,” she added.
Budget savings
The executive hopes to save €23 billion by 2029 through this budgetary tightening. However, some demonstrators say the effort is unfairly shared between workers, businesses and the wealthy.
“We’re really heading for job insecurity and the impoverishment of the population. What was called for was an attempt to restore a better balance and also to affect those who earn a little too much, the ‘broad shoulders’ as they are called,” lamented Justine Bolssens, a lawyer in the public services sector.
Public transport was severely disrupted in Brussels, while Belgian airspace was closed due to a strike by air traffic controllers.
Clashes between police and demonstrators broke out briefly on the fringes of the procession in front of the headquarters of the Engagés and the MR, two parties that are part of the government coalition.
