Brussels Faces Questions Over 55 Million Euro Security Budget
Brussels is facing questions over how millions of euros in federal security funding have been spent in recent years.
The federal government provides Brussels with 55 million euro each year for security and prevention linked to the capital’s international role and European summits. Of that amount, 35 million euro goes to police zones and 20 million euro goes to municipalities.
According to figures cited by BRUZZ and reports from the Finance Inspectorate, some of the money was used for projects and expenses outside traditional security spending.
In 2020, 828,000 euro went to Brussels’ social housing company. That same year, the Brussels public transport operator received 3 million euro for security and prevention projects, with part of the money reportedly used for metro station toilets and meals for homeless people.
Another case involved 3 million euro allocated for a Brussels cyber center that was never built. More than 2 million euro from that budget eventually went to municipalities. Brussels authorities described the transfer as an accounting shift.
The issue became more controversial after MR lawmaker Denis Ducarme said information from senior administrative sources indicated that the municipal funds were also used for items including household appliances, books, garbage bags, a laundromat and a trip to Disneyland. These claims are now being raised in parliament and are subject to further scrutiny.
Ducarme has called for parliamentary hearings and said recovering some of the funds could be considered. N-VA lawmaker Maaike De Vreese has also called for an audit of the 55 million euro annual budget.
Interior Minister Bernard Quintin said the federal government does not currently have a detailed view of how the money is spent because the funding has been provided as a general allocation rather than a traditional subsidy since 2017.
Quintin said he has requested a report on how the federal security funds for Brussels have been used. Parliamentary hearings or a broader investigation are also being considered.
