Helen Lyons

The Brussels municipality of Saint-Josse is preparing to launch a legal battle against the Brussels region over its attempts to place the municipality under administration due to its financial difficulties.The executive committee wants its lawyers to lodge legal and administrative appeals to safeguard its interests and prevent "the organisation of its financial suffocation", the municipality said in a statement.The municipality is led by mayor Emir Kir, formerly of PS but now independent after being expelled from the party over alleged ties to the Turkish far-right and denial of the Armenian genocide.Saint-Josse has been in the regional authorities’ sights for months due to its worrying financial situation and what the region has described as "operational shortcomings", which prompted the Brussels government to initiate a procedure in May to place the municipality under administration.On 30 July, Saint-Josse said that it had been informed of the refusal to approve the 2024 annual accounts for a second time, though it maintains that it has rectified all the issues identified in March and further discussions have taken place to provide the necessary explanations and supporting documentation.The lack of approval of the accounts has significant consequences. The municipality is unable to adopt its 2026 budget until the 2024 accounts have been approved. However, in order to access regional funding, a municipality must have a budget in place.Saint-Josse, for example, is not included in the €150 million funding package announced for Brussels municipalities in financial difficulty.The municipal council deplored what it described as a persistent lack of dialogue with the regional authorities.It said it therefore intended "to use all legal means at our disposal to prevent a financial situation - which, while difficult, is similar to that of other municipalities and which would require support and constructive dialogue, both of which are being denied - from being turned into a pretext for placing the municipality under administration".

The Brussels tourism industry has reported positive figures for this summer, especially in regards to main events such as the Brussels Dance Festival, the Foire du Midi and the Flower Carpet on the Grand-Place.“Our ambition is to make the heart of Brussels beat by transforming public spaces into a great place for life, culture and free socialising,” said Delphine Romanus, chief executive of Brussels Major Events.“This summer proves once again that when we join forces with local creators, organisations and the capital’s major institutions, we create a unique collective energy."It’s this model of sharing - inclusive and open to all generations - that shapes the future of our projects."The Flower Carpet alone drew an estimated 150,000 to 200,000 people who came to see it for free from the Grand-Place.A further 20,800 people bought a ticket to view the Flower Carpet from the balcony of Brussels city hall.This most recent edition celebrated 160 years of diplomatic relations between Belgium and Japan. About 750,000 dahlias were used to depict ‘The Great Wave off Kanagawa’ - the most famous work by Japanese artist Hokusai - across an area of almost 1,700m².The next edition, the 25th, will take place in 2028. Next year will see a new edition of Flowertime, a different flower exhibition at Brussels city hall.Other events to enjoy strong public interest were Vaux Hall Summer (28,000 visitors), Classissimo (more than 3,000) and the Quai d’été (5,564).The Foire du Midi saw record attendance with 1.42 million visitors, representing an increase of almost 33% on the previous edition. This is the highest attendance figure recorded since records began.The fair, which ran from 19 July to 24 August, saw its highest visitor numbers in the late afternoon and no major incidents were reported during the five weeks of festivities, according to Brussels city hall.“This wonderful edition is down to the excellent work of the commerce department and Entreprendre Bruxelles, in collaboration with the city’s departments and also with the fairground operators,” said the Brussels-City deputy mayor for commerce, Didier Wauters (Les Engagés), who thanked the various stakeholders for “their commitment and cooperation”.Patrick De Corte, president of the Brussels section of the Union of Belgian Fairground Operators, noted that good weather helped boost visitor numbers.“Apart from the heatwave days, the weather was marvellous. The weather is either our ally or our enemy - it depends on the year,” De Corte said.“We had virtually no incidents. That’s really important to me, as a Brussels resident, for the image of Brussels. The fair is well secured and the police are doing a brilliant job.”This year’s fair also marks the end of an era for Brussels fairground operators. At almost 70 years of age, De Corte is stepping down as president of the organisation he has led for more than 30 years. His successor has not yet been named.

Brussels city councillor Benoit Hellings (Ecolo) has lodged a complaint against mayor Philippe Close (PS) regarding an alleged possible conflict of

A number of changes come into force for Belgian residents on 1 September, including reforms related to the justice system, cars, social benefits and pensions.

Belgian postal company Bpost has announced that it will give priority to its own Bbox parcel lockers where sufficient capacity is available, prompting

Users of electric scooters capable of speeds exceeding 20 km/h are now required to wear a helmet, with Brussels police warning that fines for offences will be "immediate".

The Belgian Council of State has decided to suspend the 15-year Brussels casino licence awarded to Napoleon Games following a challenge from current licence holder Viage.

About 500 residents of the Brussels municipality of Saint-Gilles have held a protest against the rise of drugs-related violence in the neighbourhhood, calling on authorities to prioritise prevention over repression.

The yellow alert for drought remains in place in the Brussels Region despite the recent rain and decline in temperature.“With the return of rain and milder temperatures, the situation has improved slightly,” a spokesperson for Brussels Environment said. “That said, the rainfall over the past few weeks has not been sufficient to normalise the situation, either in terms of the soil - which remains dry - or in terms of water resources.” The regional drought task force met on Monday under the auspices of the water policy coordination platform, led by Brussels Environment. The various operators and stakeholders in the water sector (Vivaqua, the Port of Brussels and Brussels Environment) and in the fields of prevention, safety and crisis management (safe.brussels) decided to maintain the yellow alert level, meaning the vigilance phase remains active.“Caution therefore remains essential, particularly as forecasts from the Royal Meteorological Institute predict drier weather,” Brussels Environment warned. Authorities are once again urging the public to use tap water sensibly.

An estimated 1,000 accommodation places are being cut from asylum seeker centres in the Brussels region as of this month, while the country continues to grapple with a migration crisis.