Belgian parties MR and Les Engagés to sue union after protest

The FGTB union staged protest actions outside the Brussels headquarters of the MR and Les Engagés parties, two key French-speaking parties in Belgium's governing coalition. The union's goal was to exert pressure and gain media visibility, signaling a potentially "hot" social autumn.

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That unions work for the return of the left to government is known, that they lie is established, that they degrade is their way of doing things, but attacking people who are workers and not elected officials, I do not accept it.

However, the protests were poorly received by the party leaderships. Georges-Louis Bouchez, president of the MR, expressed outrage, stating that while he understood unions working to bring the left back to power, he could not accept lies, degradation, or attacks on workers. He reported that collaborators, including women, were insulted and had to use a back entrance for safety. Posters with a red and white target and Bouchez's face were placed on the MR headquarters' window.

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Our headquarters is a building shared with many other structures, including NGOs. Workers and people totally foreign to the political debate were thus directly affected by this action.

Similarly, Yvan Verougstraete, president of Les Engagés, lamented that the protest's smoke bombs, deployed near a gas line repair, infiltrated the building. This caused strong odors, respiratory discomfort, and triggered the fire alarm, leading to an evacuation. Verougstraete emphasized that the freedom to protest cannot justify endangering others.

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To be clear, yes, the question of a general strike will be raised.

In response, both MR and Les Engagés announced their intention to file lawsuits against the union. The FGTB, however, denied any aggression or damage. Jonathan Hubert, the union's regional secretary, described the actions as "very symbolic" and intended to express discontent with government measures. He dismissed the parties' accusations as a diversion from the core issues, comparing the leaders to "slackers" who prefer to shift the debate rather than address the problems.

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The start of the term will be hot.