Ans Persoons, Brussels State Secretary and a leading figure of Vooruit in the capital, opened the One May Festival on Brussels' Varkensmarkt with an impassioned speech. This May 1st, Labour Day, she stressed that the development of this city must not stand still: “Above all, we must continue to do what we at Vooruit have been doing for years: governing well and working extremely hard. Moving stones in the river. Continuing to see and highlight the beauty and strength of Brussels and its people,” says Ans Persoons.
The Vooruit.brussels One May Festival celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.Ste edition. All afternoon, young and mostly Brussels-based DJs are given a stage to showcase their talent. It promises to be a warm and atmospheric afternoon and evening. Before the decibels went through the roof, Brussels State Secretary Ans Persoons was the first to address the public and the socialist grassroots.
This May Day, the fight for hard-won rights continues: “We must never forget that May 1st, as well as being a public holiday, is also a day of struggle. A day on which we look both backwards and forwards, and also take a deep look in the mirror. I strongly feel that we are at a turning point in history, and that applies to both the world and this city”, states Person.
There are wars in the world, leaders who sow division by spreading fake news, and there is exploitation at the expense of the weaker members of society. Acquired social rights are under pressure.
“Not with us. Not with Vooruit,” Persoons assures. “I'm very happy that Frank Vandenbroucke and Rob Beenders are fighting hard above their weight every day in the federal government, so that we remain on the right side of history, so that this world crisis does not become a social crisis in Belgium.”
“Our chairman Conner Rousseau is increasingly making his mark on the European stage – very well supported in this by his international secretary Pascal Smet – and that is very much needed. If Europe as a continent wants to survive, it must speak with one voice,” he continues. Person.
Brussels has made enormous strides in the past 20 years. It has evolved from a car-centric city to a people-centric city. A huge amount of investment has been channelled into the ‘more challenging neighbourhoods’. Nevertheless, the Brussels State Secretary for the Forward party acknowledges that “Brussels is lagging behind in terms of cleanliness, safety, poverty and climate.”
“We are at a turning point, because instead of thoroughly addressing these challenges, attention has recently shifted back to issues that I thought belonged to the past: the division between Dutch and French speakers is being stoked again, progress is being rolled back, and the political discourse is pitting Brussels residents against each other instead of uniting them. Increasingly ”them," increasingly "us," he believes." Person.
Vooruit.brussels wants to tackle the real problems facing the capital. Station areas need to be revitalised, underground containers must be installed, there needs to be more play space for children, more trees must be planted to cool the city, and above all: everyone must be involved.
“Keep seeing the beauty and the possibilities of Brussels. We are at a turning point. It has never been more important to keep fighting. We are leaving no one behind!”, the prominent figure concluded. Ans Persoons.
