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Bart De Wever concludes his first round of consultations with CD&V Deputy Prime Minister Vincent Van Peteghem this Wednesday. What can we expect from these political meetings?
Bart De Wever has concluded his series of bilateral consultations with the Deputy Prime Ministers of the Arizona coalition. Since the beginning of the week, the Prime Minister has met successively with representatives of the MR, Vooruit, Engagés, and CD&V parties, in an atmosphere still marked by the budget crisis.
Each deputy prime minister was accompanied by a close associate. “Georges-Louis Bouchez for the MR party, and then the chiefs of staff for the other parties,” our reporter on the scene explained. “Next up, we can expect another meeting of the restricted cabinet to finally resume discussions together. This would be the first meeting since the crisis, since the meetings with the king.”
Each of the party leaders had promised the King concessions. However, our colleagues at Het Laatste Nieuws report that things are not looking good. “The red lines of each party are still not sufficiently being drawn down, and the new deadline is next Monday,” says Mathieu Col. Bart De Wever is expected at the palace on Monday the 16th to give another update to the King.
What’s behind 16 Rue de la Loi? The Prime Minister of Belgium office and residence
Behind the neo-classical facade of 16 rue de la Loi in Brussels, the Prime Minister’s strategic unit, composed of his political advisors, and the Chancellery, his administrative services, coexist.
The main entrance is well known to the general public : the image of the Prime Minister and members of the federal government passing under the porch of “16” is regularly broadcast on television news when journalists report on political news.
The building, located in the royal quarter opposite Brussels Park and next to Parliament, was built between 1782 and 1784 according to a design by the architect Louis Montoyer.
It first served as a refuge for the Abbey of Saint Gertrude of Leuven before housing, among other things, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The Belgian state purchased the building in 1847 to house various ministries. In September 1944 , Prime Minister Hubert Pierlot deemed the building at 18 rue de la Loi, previously reserved for the Prime Minister’s offices, too small. He therefore decided to move to the building across the street, at number 16.
Since then, 16 rue de la Loi has been the official seat of the Belgian government . It is in this building that the weekly Council of Ministers meetings and government press conferences take place.
The Lilac Room, also known as the Clock Room
The room’s name refers to the lilac ribbon on the ceiling. It served as the Cabinet meeting room from the post-war period until the late 1960s. A new space was then created on the second floor to accommodate the Cabinet. The Lilac Room was then used for press conferences. At that time, ministers sat with their backs to the fireplace, and journalists took their places on the other side of the table. Today, the Lilac Room is used for meetings or to receive certain guests.
The press room, known as “the bunker”
Inaugurated in May 1992 under Prime Minister Jean-Luc Dehaene, this room is where the Government presents to journalists the decisions taken at the Council of Ministers meeting. This fully equipped room is located in the basement of the Chancellery.
The Council of Ministers room
After 14 years on the 4th floor, the members of the government returned in 2021 to their original meeting room on the 2nd floor, near the Prime Minister’s office. The room underwent a complete renovation to meet new safety standards and current audiovisual requirements.
The Council of Ministers is one of the main centers of Belgian politics. The members of the government make decisions collectively, based on consensus, and are jointly responsible for the decisions taken. The debates are confidential. However, the decisions of the Council of Ministers are the subject of official press releases.
