The shootings took place in the days after the ascension to power of Belgium’s new national government, which included in its coalition agreement a “zero-tolerance” policy for drugs in and near stations, and a merger of Brussels’ six police zones into a single department.
“In recent years, it has again become clear that the security policy in Brussels is too fragmented. That’s causing criminal phenomena and nuisances to not be dealt with in the most efficient way possible,” the deal read.
While the country finally has a government, Brussels is also struggling with the lack of a regional administration, which has been stuck in negotiating limbo since elections in June 2024. “This can no longer continue,” fumed Christophe de Beukelaer, group leader of the center-right Les Engagés party in Brussels.
“For more than eight months, some political parties have refused to join the government, continuing to ignore the urgency of the situation. This deadlock is unacceptable and jeopardizes the safety of the people of Brussels,” he said in an apparent swipe at the francophone socialist PS party, which has vetoed joining a government that includes the Flemish Nationalist N-VA party.
Jérémie Tojerow, a municipal councillor in leafy Uccle from the PS party, told POLITICO that the recent shootings in Brussels reminded him of the Baltimore-set series The Wire, which chronicles America’s long-running war on narcotics from the perspective of police, gangsters, drug users and affected civilians.
“The macho postures of many politicians regarding the real issues and resources needed to dismantle such networks made me think of this series: investigators, technical means, following the dirty money, and so on,” Tojerow said, pointing to the wiretaps and deep investigative police work it took to try smash drug gangs in the TV show.
