**That we have to learn to live with it. That the cultural sector is being punished too severely. That a general obligation to vaccinate must be introduced. Philippe Close, mayor of Brussels and leader of the PS, is sticking his neck out. Halfway through his term in office, he is taking stock. The main challenge for the capital city? That is education, he says. “Brussels is the solution for Belgium, not the problem. Meet the mayor!**
The Gothic City Hall of Brussels, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, exudes history. In the stately room next to the Mayor’s reception room, the Provisional Government was installed in September 1830. It was here that the independence of Belgium was decided upon. The illustrious names of the founding fathers are engraved on the walls: Rogier, Jolly, you name it. I want to know whether Philippe Close knows his stuff. The man laughs. “Not all of them,” he confesses. “Fortunately, I have someone in my close circle who knows every detail of the history.
Rugby, that is the Mayor’s great passion. There is even an autographed ball in his desk. He talks enthusiastically about his unusual love. That he had some talent himself, but that an injury threw a spanner in the works. That his children are also crazy about the game. That a fortnight ago he was in the Stade de France with his twelve-year-old son for the big game between France and New Zealand, the legendary All Blacks. We do the interview in Dutch, an important point for Close. “Brussels is also the capital of Flanders, so a mayor should speak Dutch. Whether it is difficult? Yes, it is. You have to dare above all. So I will also make mistakes. My apologies already. ( laughs )”
**You are the mayor of the capital of Flanders, but you are hardly known in Flanders. Why would that be?**
“The Flemish have lost their connection with Brussels. That is a pity. I would like to turn that feeling around. That is why I always give a speech on 11 July.
**Which is a difference from your predecessors.**
“( nods ) I feel it is my duty to stand there and speak. On 11 July, Brussels is above all the capital of Flanders. That connection is very important to me. We share the same history and the same future. That is my conviction. It is also important that Dutch regains the place it deserves. Fortunately, I see a positive evolution. Twenty per cent of our pupils follow Dutch-speaking education, while only seven per cent of Brussels residents are Dutch-speakers. So there are more and more French-speaking families, including migrant families, who want their children to speak Dutch. That is new. May I be provocative?”
**Go ahead.**
“( on track ) I am actually more of a Flemish nationalist than the N-VA. What do the nationalists want? That more people speak Dutch, right? That the influence of the Dutch speakers in Brussels grows. Well, they should promote education more. That is what we are doing: we are building a Dutch-language school in the city centre for no less than six hundred children. It is a tip for Ben Weyts (N-VA): invest more in our education. That will also benefit Flanders.
**We are halfway through your term in office. Are you a satisfied man?**
“No. If you are satisfied, it is better to get out of politics. Always remain indignant’, my father said when I entered politics. He was right. I remain very modest. To me, this office is still the office of Freddy ( Thielemans, his mentor, ed. ). I still think every day that someone will suddenly show me the door: ‘Away, boy, Freddy is back’. ( laughs )”
**You could already become mayor in 2013, when Thielemans stopped. Why didn’t you want to then?**
“It came too soon for me. I was too young. Even in 2017, when I did become mayor, I was barely 46. I am the youngest mayor in the history of the city.”
**Why did you say yes when Yvan Mayeur (PS) had to resign after the Samusocial scandal?**
“That was out of love for the city and its people. The scandal was a tragedy for the image. That was the moment for a major reform. I wanted to take up that challenge. Mind you: it was a risk. I had eighteen months to convince the voters, without a parachute, because I had given up my parliamentary mandate. I wanted to be mayor full-time, without cumulus.”
**You succeeded in your goal. Your party was hardly punished on 14 October.**
“That is true. But we were also rewarded for the substantive project. I had put forward two priorities: education and health. Education is the challenge for Brussels. It is the key to everything: work, social mobility, fighting poverty. Do you know why especially poorer French-speaking families send their children to Dutch-speaking education? Because knowledge of Dutch is the best guarantee for work. In the poorer neighbourhoods, people today watch more Ketnet than Ouftivi, the RTBF children’s channel.”
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**That we have to learn to live with it. That the cultural sector is being punished too severely. That a general obligation to vaccinate must be introduced. Philippe Close, mayor of Brussels and leader of the PS, is sticking his neck out. Halfway through his term in office, he is taking stock. The main challenge for the capital city? That is education, he says. “Brussels is the solution for Belgium, not the problem. Meet the mayor!**
The Gothic City Hall of Brussels, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, exudes history. In the stately room next to the Mayor’s reception room, the Provisional Government was installed in September 1830. It was here that the independence of Belgium was decided upon. The illustrious names of the founding fathers are engraved on the walls: Rogier, Jolly, you name it. I want to know whether Philippe Close knows his stuff. The man laughs. “Not all of them,” he confesses. “Fortunately, I have someone in my close circle who knows every detail of the history.
Rugby, that is the Mayor’s great passion. There is even an autographed ball in his desk. He talks enthusiastically about his unusual love. That he had some talent himself, but that an injury threw a spanner in the works. That his children are also crazy about the game. That a fortnight ago he was in the Stade de France with his twelve-year-old son for the big game between France and New Zealand, the legendary All Blacks. We do the interview in Dutch, an important point for Close. “Brussels is also the capital of Flanders, so a mayor should speak Dutch. Whether it is difficult? Yes, it is. You have to dare above all. So I will also make mistakes. My apologies already. ( laughs )”
**You are the mayor of the capital of Flanders, but you are hardly known in Flanders. Why would that be?**
“The Flemish have lost their connection with Brussels. That is a pity. I would like to turn that feeling around. That is why I always give a speech on 11 July.
**Which is a difference from your predecessors.**
“( nods ) I feel it is my duty to stand there and speak. On 11 July, Brussels is above all the capital of Flanders. That connection is very important to me. We share the same history and the same future. That is my conviction. It is also important that Dutch regains the place it deserves. Fortunately, I see a positive evolution. Twenty per cent of our pupils follow Dutch-speaking education, while only seven per cent of Brussels residents are Dutch-speakers. So there are more and more French-speaking families, including migrant families, who want their children to speak Dutch. That is new. May I be provocative?”
**Go ahead.**
“( on track ) I am actually more of a Flemish nationalist than the N-VA. What do the nationalists want? That more people speak Dutch, right? That the influence of the Dutch speakers in Brussels grows. Well, they should promote education more. That is what we are doing: we are building a Dutch-language school in the city centre for no less than six hundred children. It is a tip for Ben Weyts (N-VA): invest more in our education. That will also benefit Flanders.
**We are halfway through your term in office. Are you a satisfied man?**
“No. If you are satisfied, it is better to get out of politics. Always remain indignant’, my father said when I entered politics. He was right. I remain very modest. To me, this office is still the office of Freddy ( Thielemans, his mentor, ed. ). I still think every day that someone will suddenly show me the door: ‘Away, boy, Freddy is back’. ( laughs )”
**You could already become mayor in 2013, when Thielemans stopped. Why didn’t you want to then?**
“It came too soon for me. I was too young. Even in 2017, when I did become mayor, I was barely 46. I am the youngest mayor in the history of the city.”
**Why did you say yes when Yvan Mayeur (PS) had to resign after the Samusocial scandal?**
“That was out of love for the city and its people. The scandal was a tragedy for the image. That was the moment for a major reform. I wanted to take up that challenge. Mind you: it was a risk. I had eighteen months to convince the voters, without a parachute, because I had given up my parliamentary mandate. I wanted to be mayor full-time, without cumulus.”
**You succeeded in your goal. Your party was hardly punished on 14 October.**
“That is true. But we were also rewarded for the substantive project. I had put forward two priorities: education and health. Education is the challenge for Brussels. It is the key to everything: work, social mobility, fighting poverty. Do you know why especially poorer French-speaking families send their children to Dutch-speaking education? Because knowledge of Dutch is the best guarantee for work. In the poorer neighbourhoods, people today watch more Ketnet than Ouftivi, the RTBF children’s channel.”