Belgium is bracing for the "mother of all elections" this Sunday, having to choose members of the European Parliament, federal and regional legislatures, but the people in Brussels say they care about "efficiency" and "real change," not more politics
BRUSSELS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 23rd May, 2019) Belgium is bracing for the "mother of all elections" this Sunday, having to choose members of the European Parliament, federal and regional legislatures, but the people in Brussels say they care about "efficiency" and "real change," not more politics.The members of the total of the six parliaments will be picked by a small kingdom of 11.5 million. It means all media are abuzz, with Brussels taking the center stage as the capital of the European Union. The city of just one million has a population of lobbyists, diplomats and their families totaling 100,000, an impressive tenth of its populace.
Brussels is one of the most cosmopolitan and multicultural cities in Europe, home to several migrant communities and a host for politicians from across the globe. However, many of those who work in the city commute to work from greener suburbs outside Brussels. Among those who prefer to live in the city, some are motivated by environmental issues, with bikes and scooters as an emerging new trend.
Cosmopolitanism ends outside the capital. Apart from the Greens, there are no truly "national" parties, so you have a splintering of small parties in the Flemish North and French-speaking South, each with a presence in Brussels, plus local lists.
The proportional representation system has made this little federal state an incredibly complicated political arena: four regions mean four parliaments, a bloated administration, high debt and high budget deficit, which make it nearly impossible to develop new policies that would need new funds.
In Dutch-speaking Flanders, the right dominates, with the polls suggesting that New Flemish Alliance (N-VA) nationalists may grab 30 percent of the vote. The anti-migration Vlaams Belang (VB) might hope for 12 percent, the Greens are at the same level, with the other parties lagging behind.
In the French-speaking part of the country, resolutely on the Left, the Socialists may hope for good results despite a number of corruption scandals, then come the liberal Reformist Movement (MR), then the left-wing Workers' Party of Belgium and the Greens, followed by the Christian Democrats and the People's Party.
Any alliance between the Flemish nationalists and the French-speaking socialists would be tricky.
PEOPLE WANT EFFICIENCY, NOT POLITICS
For the citizens, it is getting harder every day to stay interested in the upcoming elections. Though the vote is compulsory in Belgium, many will ignore it or put an empty bulletin in the urn. Almost six percent of the voters refused to give a name at the last elections.
Many of the people in Brussels who spoke to Sputnik confessed they had little interest in the European Parliament elections. For them, the capital's traffic jams and the rising cost of living seem like more pressing issues. The latter is exacerbated by a high tax burden and low pensions.
"To me, the main issue in Brussels is traffic: difficult to connect... I don't care about politics, I want efficiency for my very high taxes. For the European elections, I don't really care. I don't have time," Anne B., a 45-year-old graphic designer, told Sputnik.
Mohammed B. is a 21-year-old second-generation Moroccan Belgian who has graduated from a technical school and now makes a living recharging electric scooters for a very small fee. He complained that politicians did not listen to the young people, which put him off voting last time.
"If I have to, I'll vote for a friend from Morocco, who is a candidate. I have seen his photo on a poster. European elections? I did not know we have to vote for several elections," he said.
Eric V., a 57-year-old financial director in a large Swedish company with an office in Brussels, told Sputnik that the European elections were important since the next such opportunity would only present itself in 2025.
"The Eurocrats have shown their appalling inefficiency in dealing with the immigration issue. Nothing has been done since 2015. We must close our borders and go back to a Europe of nations, with free trade between the countries; that is enough. The European dream of my youth is dead," he said.
Francis V.L. from the Belgian Health Ministry argued that Brussels and the entire Europe needed to become more inclusive. On the local level, he would vote for the Socialists who he trusted with preserving the welfare system that he claimed the right wanted to dismantle.
Affordable housing in Brussels is a top priority for the locals who have problems getting a bank loan because of a high down payment. Hugo V., a 40-year-old delivery driver, said he would vote for the parties that care for "little guys like me" at both the local and European levels.
Janice, a 49-year-old European civil servant from the United Kingdom living in Brussels for the last two decades, said she would vote for a pro-European candidate in the hope that her country would remain in the European Union.
Helen B., a 20-year-old law student at a Brussels university and a green activist, told Sputnik that she would vote for the party that takes the climate change threat seriously.
"I have demonstrated over the last months in Brussels for the climate, and we have the impression that the politicians don't listen to the young people... so I'll vote for the Greens at each election federal, regional and European, to bring real change," she said.
While Belgians are still getting ready to go to polls, some other countries have already started voting. The United Kingdom and the Netherlands launched the four-day EU election marathon on Thursday.
