Proposition de loi modifiant les lois du 18 juillet 1966 sur l'emploi des langues en matière administrative en ce qui concerne la surveillance de l'exécution de ces lois.
General information ¶
- Authors
- ∉ Hendrik Vuye, Veerle Wouters
- Submission date
- Feb. 7, 2017
- Official page
- Visit
- Status
- Rejected
- Requirement
- Simple
- Subjects
- Brussels region administrative supervision municipality use of languages
Voting ¶
- Voted to adopt
- LE PS | SP DéFI MR PP
- Voted to reject
- Vooruit ∉ N-VA VB
- Abstained from voting
- Groen CD&V Ecolo Open Vld PVDA | PTB
Party dissidents ¶
- Peter Luykx (CD&V) voted to reject.
Contact form ¶
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Discussion ¶
March 21, 2019 | Plenary session (Chamber of representatives)
Full source
Hendrik Vuye ∉ ⚙
In 1962-1963, a large language pact was adopted here in the House. However, we have to conclude that the language pact in Brussels has never been complied with. Each year the Deputy Governor writes a report with figures on this subject. Every year, the Brussels local authorities, the municipalities and the OCMWs are increasingly following the language law.
Now the latest annual report for 2017 shows that of the decisions of the Brussels OCMWs on contractual personnel only 4.4% are still in compliance with the language law. So the number of zero decisions that are in accordance with the language law really comes into sight. So the language law has become a law without teeth. The law is not applied.
How does the mechanism work? The Deputy Governor can suspend. The Deputy Governor is always suspended. Unfortunately, the suspension only works for 40 days, after which it is cancelled, unless the Brussels Capital Government, in the case of the municipality, turns the suspension into destruction. In the case of an OCMW, the suspension may be converted into destruction by the United College of the Joint Community Commission. Only that does not happen.
Members of the Open Vld abstained in the committee, referring to the aforementioned mechanism. Dear members of the Open Vld, in the latest report of the Deputy Governor it states that in 2017 there were exactly 0,0 destruction. In other words, you are selling flavored pap.
One after the other Interior Minister has always argued here that it was a problem of the Brusselsers, referring to the mechanism that I explained recently and pointing out that the problem could not be solved at the federal level. Mr. Jambon has repeated this often. At that point, the force of change was apparently rather the force of repetition.
Mrs. Wouters and I have submitted a proposal which receives a positive opinion from both the Dutch speakers and the French speakers of the Standing Commission for Language Supervision. It has also received a positive opinion from the General Assembly of the State Council. There were also Dutch speakers and French speakers together.
These are legal advice.
What has always been denied here, even during this legislature, namely that this cannot be resolved at the federal level, is now denied. This can be resolved by the introduction of a special administrative supervision, which is permitted by Article 7 of the Special Act of 8 August 1980. This is the technique we use. We change the language legislation with our bill nothing, not a letter, but we ensure that there is a mechanism that makes the language law enforceable.
The question is, of course, as Mrs. Wouters and I have once written in an opinion paper in connection with this bill, whether the Flamings will behave like Pontius Pilatus. Colleagues, you have a majority in this Chamber. And yes, they will behave like Pontius Pilate.
With great difficulty and thanks to the fall of the Michel I government, we have finally been able to put our bill to the vote in the Committee on Home Affairs. The chairman of this committee delayed the treatment, with a lot of talent, from October 2017 to two weeks ago. It is a pity that in a democracy one does not have the courage to vote against proposals that one is against. On the contrary, the processing of such bills will be delayed by asking for advice, organising hearings and the like.
But the miracles are not out of the world. The N-VA has seen the light and voted in the committee — and I am ⁇ grateful to my colleagues for that — for our proposal. You voted in favour of a bill that Mr Jambon has always said here was impossible. You even applauded for that. Conversors, they are always welcome. The door is wide open to those who show repentance. You can always go to us.
And then the others. Mr. Verherstraeten, what did CD&V do with that proposal in the committee for domestic affairs? Your group has behaved like Pontius Pilate. You washed your hands in innocence. You have abstained. Your party has been complaining for decades about the non-application of the language law in Brussels and at the moment you can solve it, instead of acting like the merciful Samaritan from the Bible and voting for it, you do like Pontius Pilate and wash your hands in innocence. Conversors are welcome, Mr. Verherstraeten. Your group may soon again be Flemish-minded and approve that proposal. You will no longer have to complain in the future.
The other Flemish parties who were present in that committee also acted as Pontius Pilatus. Also telkenmale in the media complain that the language law in Brussels is not applied, but if they can do something about it, they put their heads in the sand to not knock the French speakers at all.
The French speakers stand out for their position and vote unexpectedly against, but the Flamings... unfortunately. With such a member of parliament you go to war and you know in advance that it is best to sign a peace treaty or, ⁇ better, a capitulation treaty.
I hope there will be some converts here. My group and the Flemish Interest have no voting rights in the committee, so we did not vote there at the time. That proposal has now been rejected because most Flemish parties in that committee have abstained.
If you do this again later, never complain about the non-application of the language law in Brussels. I will not sit here anymore, but my ghost will still wander somewhere and that of Mrs. Wouters too. We will repeatedly remind you of this attitude, of how you are today Pontius Pilate, or converted according to the attitude you will take.
Flemish colleagues, you have a majority here. We are also in a special situation here. There is no government, or a government without a majority. So you have much more freedom of vote than otherwise. You can now resolve a problem you complain about every year on 11 July, which is the non-application of the language legislation in Brussels, so you can proudly say within a few months that you have resolved it. And it can!
So Mrs. Wouters and I look forward to your behavior. Which Bible Table Should You Choose? Horresco references in my case, but for once I will cite the N-VA as an example. They are conversionists. They have converted after having stopped this for so many years. In the committee they voted for, for which I thank you. You should have had that courage before, colleagues of the N-VA, but any convert is welcome. We will accept your vote with great pleasure.