Brussels declares emergency: 65 shootings, 6 in four days

Belgium, national emergency: 65 shootings in Brussels

The Belgian government has declared a national emergency after six shootings were recorded in the capital in just four days. The total since the start of the year stands at 65, according to Europa Press. The measure comes after months of scattered violence, but the concentration of cases has forced the authorities to act.

More police, but for what?

The announced package includes a boost to police presence on the streets of Brussels. It is the classic response, one that shows toughness without addressing the causes. Analysts point out that shootings are nothing new in the Molenbeek district and neighbouring areas, where deprivation, drug trafficking and incivil networks have fuelled the conflict for years. What is new is that the escalation has reached the heart of European power.

The cracks in the multicultural narrative

The state of emergency has stirred up the political debate. Some argue these figures are the tip of the iceberg of an integration problem that has been ignored for decades. Others counter that incivil entire neighbourhoods only deepens stigmatisation. The reference to the "cordon sanitaire", a term coined in Belgian politics to isolate anti-immigration parties, echoes in a debate that has turned harsher.

Meanwhile, Brussels, capital of the European Union, watches violence become part of everyday life. The uncomfortable question: should the EU reconsider its seat if the city no longer offers safety? For now, the official answer is silence.