Little by little, a solution to the protracted impasse at the Brussels public prosecutor’s office is coming into view

A “functional knowledge” of the other language – where written knowledge is no longer required – is sufficient.

There will be a change in both roles: a French-speaking prosecutor simultaneously means a Dutch-speaking labor prosecutor and the roles of their successors will then change. The 5-year mandates can be extended once.

Of the two deputies of the public prosecutor and that of the labor prosecutor, one must be French-speaking, the other must belong to the language role other than the prosecutor or the labor prosecutor. They must also have a functional command of the other language. The next public prosecutor will be French-speaking, the labor prosecutor will be Dutch-speaking.

Challenge

The bill was approved for second reading in the competent House committee at the end of last month, but must still be given the green light in the plenary Chamber on Wednesday afternoon. Even if that happens, however, the saga isn’t quite over yet.

For N-VA, it is not possible for a functional knowledge of the other national language to be sufficient for a police chief to adequately lead a force with members of both language groups. The opposition party N-VA has already announced that it will challenge the arrangement before the Constitutional Court.