“Don't wait until this winter to make preparations”
Vooruit.brussels has submitted a resolution in the Brussels Parliament calling on the government to draw up an ambitious ‘Youth and New Year's Eve’ action plan. Such a plan should ensure that New Year's Eve does not once again descend into riots like in previous years. “There is a need for an inclusive and preventative youth offer,” believes Ilyas Mouani.Vooruit.brusselsNew Year's Eve should be a celebration for everyone, but without direction or guidance, things sometimes go wrong.“
During New Year's Eve 2024 to 2025, the number of incidents in the Brussels-Capital Region rose sharply. According to safe.brussels The fire brigade received 122 calls for fire interventions – almost 50 percent more than the previous year. More than 200 people were arrested, including at least 60 minors. Furthermore, emergency services faced verbal and physical aggression in various locations. Firefighters and paramedics even had to interrupt their interventions in some neighbourhoods because they were pelted with fireworks and projectiles.
Accessible and safe occurrence
“Such attacks are completely unacceptable, especially against people who risk their lives for our safety.”, says Brussels MP for Vooruit Ilyas Mouani, who submitted a motion for a resolution in the Brussels Parliament.Groen, Les Engagés, N-VA, Open Vld, PS and TFA also co-signed the proposal. “It is good that the necessity is recognised across party lines,” Mouani continues. “Because where New Year's Eve should be a moment of togetherness and celebration, young people in Brussels now often cause chaos and nuisance. These figures show the increasing pressure on our emergency services and they also expose a painful reality: currently, we cannot guarantee that New Year's Eve is an accessible or safe event for all people in Brussels.”
According to Mouani, who has experience in youth work herself, young people between the ages of 12 and 18 often don't feel engaged by the current New Year's Eve offerings. Many activities are inaccessible or have age restrictions. Mouani: “For many, there is a lack of meaningful engagement. There's no place they can go, no activities that appeal to them, and no policies that involve them. This often leads to boredom or peer pressure. Without guidance or supervision, things unfortunately often go wrong, posing a risk to the young people themselves and their surroundings.”
Internship at the fire brigade or police
Concrete plea Vooruit.brussels for a layered approach. There needs to be a broad awareness campaign on the use of fireworks, both to avoid accidents and to discourage the use of fireworks as a weapon. In addition, the party wants to give young people the opportunity to do a voluntary internship with the Brussels fire brigade or police in the run-up to New Year's Eve, so that they can get to know the deployment and challenges of the emergency services up close. Finally, the socialists also propose launching a regional project call – in collaboration with Cocof, VGC and local authorities – so that organisations can set up activities for young people aged 12 to 18, and there are also actual places where they can celebrate the transition to the new year together.
“The Brussels government must reorient existing resources in the coming months and involve youth organisations, street workers, emergency services and local authorities in the implementation of the action plan. This must also be thoroughly evaluated after New Year's Eve so that adjustments can be made where necessary. The government must now make the necessary preparations and not wait until winter. Only then can we guarantee that everyone in Brussels can start the new year in a safe and carefree way,” Ilyas Mouani concludes.