Belgium Education Protests: Thousands Rally Against €300M in Cuts
Thousands of students, teachers, and union members have taken to the streets of Brussels and Namur in escalating protests against sweeping austerity measures in the French-speaking Community of Belgium (Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles). The demonstrations, which began on June 4, have been marked by violent clashes with police, arson at Brussels-Central station, and dozens of arrests, as Education Minister Valérie Glatigny (MR) pushes through €300 million in budget cuts.
Context: A Structural Budget Crisis
The French Community of Belgium faces a severe structural deficit. Unlike Flanders, which merged its regional and community institutions, the French Community and Walloon Region remain separate entities. The French Community has no fiscal powers and relies entirely on transfers, with education consuming approximately 70% of its budget. As VRT NWS reports, the government must save €300 million in education over the coming years.
“Saving in the French Community means saving on education,” political journalist Alain Gerlache told VRT NWS. “The other powers of the French Community are so small that they cannot contribute enough to the savings operation.”
This is not the first time French-speaking education has seen massive protests. In 1996, Minister Laurette Onkelinx (PS) cut 2,800 teaching positions, triggering months of strike action. Decades later, the same structural problems have resurfaced.
Key Reform Measures Fuel Anger
The reforms at the center of the controversy include several far-reaching changes. Teachers in secondary education (grades 2 and 3) will teach 22 hours per week instead of 20, without a salary increase. The system of permanent appointments (vaste benoeming) will be abolished for new teachers starting September 2027. University and college tuition fees will rise sharply to €1,200, and budgets for school materials and building renovations will be cut. Teachers returning after serious illness will only be able to work half-time for two years, where previously there was no limit.
Minister Glatigny defends the measures as unavoidable. “But despite the cuts, which are necessary, I am also investing in new policy for education, about 75 million euros from now until 2029,” she told VRT NWS.
However, protesters argue the process itself is undemocratic. Marie, a Dutch teacher at Notre-Dame College in Basse-Waver, told VRT NWS: “We will have to work more for the same pay and working conditions will deteriorate, with more people for larger class groups. But we also find the way the cuts are being implemented terrible. We have the impression that this is not happening in a democratic way.”
Protests Turn Violent
On June 4, approximately 3,000 protesters gathered in Brussels, according to police estimates cited by De Morgen. The situation escalated quickly: fires were set at Brussels-Central station, with electric bikes and scooters set ablaze. Objects were thrown onto metro tracks at Sint-Guido station in Anderlecht, fireworks were discharged, and bus shelter windows were smashed. Protesters even stormed the parliament building.
Police deployed water cannons and tear gas to disperse the crowds. The fire brigade had to suspend operations due to safety concerns. According to Knack, 15 people were arrested on June 4 (14 judicial, 1 administrative), including 6 adults and 8 minors. A further 10 judicial arrests followed on June 5, as reported by Bruzz.
Unions warned of further action. “We can expect more protests next week and until the end of the school year,” said Luc Toussaint of the CGSP-Enseignement union. “The anger is only increasing.”
Police Conduct Under Scrutiny
The heavy-handed police response has drawn significant criticism. The French-speaking League for Human Rights (Ligue des Droits Humains) called the police response “disproportionate,” noting that teachers had to form a human chain to protect students from water cannons and baton charges, as Bruzz reported.
An internal investigation has been launched after images surfaced of an officer wearing a ‘Deus Vult’ (Crusader) symbol on his uniform and other officers making sexist and transphobic remarks, according to Bruzz. Victor Kanyanzira, spokesperson for Brussels Mayor Philippe Close (PS), stated: “An internal investigation is being launched into the conduct of those officers. The behavior of a very small part of the staff should not lead to discrediting this extremely difficult profession.”
Analysis: A Political and Structural Impasse
Minister Glatigny, described as a loyal soldier of MR party chairman Georges-Louis Bouchez, has been criticized for excluding social partners from decision-making. Prof. Dirk Jacobs (ULB) told VRT NWS: “Glatigny involves the field and social partners much less in decision-making. That fuels the discontent.”
The French-speaking education system also faces unique structural challenges. It has the highest rate of grade repeaters in Western Europe, making it more expensive per student due to longer school trajectories. This structural inefficiency compounds the budget crisis.
Political journalist Alain Gerlache painted a bleak picture of the situation. “I fear the situation is currently hopeless,” he told VRT NWS. “Both camps are right: the government that wants to save and the teachers who find the situation untenable.”
What’s Next
The decree containing the austerity measures was pushed through via an emergency procedure on June 4, despite opposition from PTB and Ecolo parties. Unions have warned of further protests in the coming weeks and until the end of the school year. Additional demonstrations were called for June 5 and June 8, with activists planning a peaceful rally at the Poelaertplein in Brussels. With the structural budget deficit showing no signs of easing and political options limited, the standoff between the government and the education sector appears far from resolution.