Belgium came to a standstill on Tuesday as a nationwide strike against the government’s planned pension and savings overhaul crippled transport and grounded flights across the country.
Brussels Airport, the nation’s busiest, grounded all flights when security staff went out, and Charleroi Airport, a big Ryanair hub, closed because of staff shortages. Metro, tram, and bus networks in capital cities were widely interrupted, stranding thousands of passengers.
The strike is the most recent of a growing wave of protest action since Flemish nationalist prime minister Bart De Wever came to power in February. His coalition administration has faced mounting criticism for budget cuts aimed at reducing Belgium’s growing budget deficit, now well above European Union fiscal limits.
Trade unions accused the government of burdening the middle class and workers with the expense of fiscal consolidation, as per proposed reductions in pension entitlements, a freeze on wage indexation, and restrictions on premature retirement.
“More secure jobs and purchasing power a bargain at a low cost! Plain folks are paying the price again while the wealthy are left untouched,” the trade union CSC said in a call for mass turnouts at the demonstrations.
They anticipate tens of thousands flocking to Brussels’ streets on Wednesday. Traffic jams of historic proportions and citizens being advised away from city centers as traffic deteriorates were warned about by police.
The street unrest comes after political tension for De Wever’s government, which on Monday were not able to negotiate an agreement for a federal budget causing the prime minister to postpone a major policy speech scheduled for the next day.
The government argues that the austerity plan is needed to fund a €10 billion ($12 billion) deficit gap and comply with EU rules, and to boost defence spending in line with NATO agreements.
The government of De Wever was set up after some months of tense negotiations following the June 2024 federal election in Belgium, and the present crisis is its toughest test to date.
