Brussels raises transport fares and launches renovation loans
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The Brussels government has settled on a budget for 2027, balancing the introduction of interest-free home renovation loans against a price hike for public transport tickets. Regional leaders also plan a new circulation tax and further housing reforms, ending a period of deadlock that had left the capital's fiscal direction in doubt.
At the federal level, Bart De Wever is attempting to hold a coalition together while finding 10 billion euros in savings. His current proposals include a major VAT overhaul and potential cuts to healthcare subsidies for vulnerable patients, an approach that has left the gap between governing partners as wide as it was before the weekend.
Domestic debates have also turned toward the power grid, as data centers are projected to triple their electricity consumption by 2035. Critics from both ends of the political spectrum are questioning why Belgian green energy is being reserved for American tech firms while households face the prospect of a tighter supply.