Brussels MP Swims in Puddle to Protest Lack of Outdoor Pools

As a heatwave sent temperatures soaring above 30°C (86°F) across Brussels this week, one member of the regional parliament decided to make a splash — literally. Lotte Stoops, a Groen (Green) MP and Vice-President of the Brussels Parliament, published a video of herself lying on the ground in a swimsuit, snorkel mask on, pretending to swim in a puddle in the Laeken district. Her message was pointed: Brussels remains one of the few European capitals without a single public outdoor swimming pool.

“There is a lack of outdoor swimming pools in Brussels. I’ve been fighting for this for a long time,” Stoops told La Libre Belgique. The video, posted on Groen Brussels’ Instagram account, quickly went viral, drawing attention to a long-simmering debate about public swimming infrastructure in the Belgian capital.

A Capital Without a Public Pool

Brussels stands out among European capitals for what it lacks. Cities like Paris, Copenhagen, and Zurich have embraced open-water swimming — Paris opened multiple swimming areas in the Canal Saint-Martin and Bassin de la Villette, while Copenhagen’s harbour baths are a celebrated feature of urban life. Brussels, by contrast, has no permanent outdoor public swimming facility.

Groen Brussels summed up the frustration in its Instagram post: “Days of summer weather and Brussels residents have nowhere to cool off. Just jump in the car or train to Flanders, because in Brussels? Not a single outdoor swimming pool left.”

The protest comes during a heatwave that has gripped the region for several consecutive days, underscoring the practical consequences of the infrastructure gap. As DH Les Sports+ reported, Stoops argued that the issue is only becoming more urgent as summers grow hotter.

A History of Stalled Projects

The lack of outdoor swimming in Brussels is not for lack of proposals. The most prominent project — a 350-meter open-air pool in the Brussels Canal at Quai des Péniches — was championed by former Ecolo Sports Alderman Benoît Hellings and underwent feasibility studies with an expected groundbreaking by 2026. However, in May 2025, the new city majority (MR-Les Engagés) cancelled the project. First Alderman Florence Frelinx (MR) called it “unrealistic” given the budget situation and ecological concerns, as RTBF reported at the time.

Other projects have also stalled. A rooftop pool on the Anderlecht slaughterhouse remains in the planning stages. A swimming pond at Neerpede is contested. The Flow outdoor pool has closed, and the Calypso pool in Watermael-Boitsfort is undergoing renovation. The city is now exploring a public-private partnership model for a new outdoor facility, but critics argue this approach risks creating an expensive, exclusionary venue rather than an accessible public good.

Climate Adaptation and Social Equity

Stoops framed the issue as both a climate adaptation challenge and a matter of social justice. “It’s possible to create swimming areas in the south of the canal, with supervision,” she told La Libre Belgique. “We’re heading towards increasingly hot summers. We won’t have ‘normal summers’ anymore. We have to prepare for it. They do it in Paris and elsewhere: it’s not unthinkable. But here, everything is too slow.”

The social equity dimension is significant. Residents who cannot afford to travel to Flanders or invest in private pools are left with no option for outdoor swimming during heatwaves. As 7sur7 noted in a broader analysis of the issue, advocates argue that the lack of political will — not technical feasibility — is the primary obstacle. The canal itself is sufficiently clean for swimming at many points, yet bureaucratic and political hurdles persist.

Stoops, who also serves as a municipal councillor for the City of Brussels, has been a consistent advocate for water access and green spaces. An artist and documentary filmmaker by background, she was involved in the “Au Bord De l’Eau” neighborhood project in Laeken in 2016, where residents reclaimed a neglected park along the canal. She has also authored a “water plan” for the capital that includes the valorization of natural springs and the highlighting of public fountains.

Political Dynamics

The puddle protest is the latest chapter in a broader political battle over public space and climate adaptation in Brussels. The new city majority — a coalition of MR and Les Engagés formed after the October 2024 local elections — has taken a more fiscally conservative approach than its predecessor. The cancellation of the canal pool project was one of its first major decisions, drawing sharp criticism from environmental parties.

Groen, in opposition at the city level, is using this visual protest to pressure the majority and mobilize public opinion. The party has invited citizens to comment “ZWEMMEN” (Dutch for “swimming”) on their Instagram post to signal support and stay informed about future actions.

What’s Next?

The question remains whether this protest will translate into concrete change. The city government is exploring a public-private partnership for a new outdoor pool, but no timeline has been announced. Critics, including Stoops, warn that such a model risks creating an expensive, commercially oriented facility rather than an accessible public amenity. “It will be an Océade 2,” she said, referring to the existing indoor water park. “We need more than that — something accessible to people of all income levels.”

For now, Brussels residents facing another sweltering summer will have to keep traveling to Flanders — or, like their MP, make do with a puddle.