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Belgique vers un narco-État : les politiques débattent dans The Ring
À Bruxelles et Anvers, fusillades et guerres de territoire liées à la drogue se multiplient. La Belgique a-t-elle perdu le contrôle ? Philippe Close et Mathias Vanden Borre (N-VA) s’affrontent.
LIRE L’ARTICLE : http://fr.euronews.com/2026/07/10/belgique-vers-un-narco-etat-les-politiques-debattent-dans-the-ring
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À Bruxelles et Anvers, fusillades et guerres de territoire liées à la drogue se multiplient. La Belgique a-t-elle perdu le contrôle ? Philippe Close et Mathias Vanden Borre (N-VA) s’affrontent.
LIRE L’ARTICLE : http://fr.euronews.com/2026/07/10/belgique-vers-un-narco-etat-les-politiques-debattent-dans-the-ring
Abonnez-vous à notre chaine. Euronews est disponible sur Dailymotion en 12 langues
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NewsTranscription
00:00Sous-titrage Société Radio-Canada
00:30Drugs, crime, and what to do about it. Luis Albertos has more.
00:37Belgium's drug problem is centered around one word. Antwerp.
00:44It's home to Europe's second biggest port, one of the continent's main entry points for drugs from Latin America.
00:52Last year, Belgian authorities seized 55 tons of cocaine here,
00:56but officials admit that much larger quantities likely get through, often in hidden shipments of bananas, frozen food, or timber.
01:05The problem has become a national security issue.
01:08Drug-related violence has spiked in Antwerp and Brussels,
01:12and gangs are even infiltrating parts of public administration through bribery and intimidation.
01:19Has Belgium evolved into a narco-state, as one senior Antwerp judge warned?
01:24Are the many measures taken on a national and local level having any effect?
01:32Well, a lot to unpack here for our contenders, and here they are.
01:38Philippe Clos, the mayor of the city of Brussels for nine years.
01:42This politician from the French-speaking Socialist Party takes a dual-track approach to drug-related problems,
01:48being firm on trafficking while addressing the social issues.
01:51He champions supervised drug consumption centers,
01:54saying these offer solution to tackling the drug problem in Brussels.
01:58Taking tough and effective action against dealers alone is not enough.
02:02We must also continue to treat drug addiction as a genuine public health issue, he says.
02:08Matthias van den Borre, a Brussels Member of Parliament for the Flemish National Party NVA.
02:13He's a former city councillor, primarily responsible for home affairs, including security.
02:18According to him, his love for Brussels is great,
02:21which is why solving issues like drug trafficking is so close to his heart.
02:25He believes breaking the business model of criminal organizations is essential in this fight.
02:30By focusing on tracing, freezing, and confiscating criminally acquired assets,
02:34we make organized crime less lucrative and dismantle the financial structures, he says.
02:41So, let me welcome to the ring Philippe Clos and Matthias van den Borre.
02:46Great to have you here. Good to see you.
02:48Are you ready?
02:49Yes, ready.
02:50Perfect.
02:50So, certain Brussels neighborhoods have seen drug-related violence,
02:55including shootings, in which bystanders have been injured.
02:59Who carries the greatest responsibility for this situation, Mr. Mayor?
03:03Well, first of all, it's always the mayor and the public authority.
03:06We need to give peace in every neighborhood.
03:09But, first of all, to take the responsibilities for very important for a politician.
03:13And after, we need to find some solution and also to learn about the cause.
03:19Why so many people using drugs?
03:22Why there are so many traffics in the street?
03:24And it's true that in Brussels we are regarding that, not only in Brussels, but for all the Belgian territory.
03:31Right. Is Brussels still a safe city?
03:34Last year, there were, I think, almost 100 shootings, which makes Brussels one of the top three cities with the
03:41most gun violence in Europe.
03:43Marseille, Napoli, and then you have Brussels, which is very alarming, of course.
03:48And this gun violence is really increasing the last few years.
03:51And for me, I think there's still a lack of urgency in Brussels itself, from maybe the mayors, but also
04:00on the regional level, to have a unified, strong response.
04:03Also, this year, we see over 30 shootings already happening this year.
04:07So, there is, I think, more needs to be done, of course, yes.
04:11On what level?
04:12It's a local level, there's a federal level, because the drugs come through the big ports.
04:16Yeah, which is one of the biggest assets in Belgium, is all ports in Antwerp.
04:20It's true that for the Belgian economy, it's so important, but it's also the principal default, because 60% of
04:27the drugs, cocaine, who comes in the European field, come from the port of Antwerp.
04:32Then we need also to regard what we can do together to shoot this problem together.
04:38And I always propose also that the Brussels Police Department help the colleagues of Antwerp to help that, because if
04:45the cocaine comes in our territory, we know that they are in the street of Brussels a few days after.
04:51Still, drug-related crime and shootings have become routine.
04:56You just mentioned the numbers.
04:58At what point do politicians have to admit that policy has failed?
05:05But first of all, for me, it's a real problem, because we have this sort of impress that it's only
05:10the police department and justice who can solve this problem.
05:14We are always a problem to speak about health, and why so many people are using drugs.
05:19In the past, it's, for example, for heroin, these people, very poor area, we're using that.
05:24But no, the cocaine is everywhere, in every works, in every culture of the society.
05:29There are so many people using drugs, and it's not only the people who are poor with a disease problem,
05:35health problem, mental problem.
05:37And I think we need to work very strong against the drug traffics, but at the same time, to understand
05:44why so many people from our population are using drugs.
05:48And how we can find an issue to help these people to gauze out of the drugs addiction.
05:54What is the most urgent thing here? Is it the social issue, the social aspect? Is it the crime aspect?
06:00Of course, you need to work on all levels, of course. You need to have a strong, integrated government to
06:05attack these problems.
06:07I think this is partly what's lacking also in Brussels. The organization of government is very fragmented.
06:12You have 19 mayors. We're standing here with Philippe Close, one of the 19 mayors.
06:16But maybe all of these 19 mayors are not really agreeing on the measures that should be taken.
06:22And to have a unified, strong response, of course, you need to have this one vision of how to tackle
06:29these problems socially, but also attack these problems of gun violence.
06:34And for me, this is what is lacking a bit in Brussels, is the structure of Brussels itself as a
06:39capital region is very fragmented.
06:41And which makes response also very fragmented. So if one thing needs to happen is that you have to unify
06:49it, strong response is necessary.
06:51Speaking of unifying, there are six police bodies in the city.
06:58It's finished.
06:59It's finished. It's going to be one.
07:00There's going to be one.
07:01Is that a measure that will help increase the security for Brussels?
07:07We will see. But if you take, for example, our colleague from Antwerp, this is only one police department, only
07:12one mayor, will become now our prime minister.
07:15And you know that all the drugs come from the port of Antwerp.
07:19Then, you know, unify is maybe one of the options.
07:22But the best option, I repeat, is first of all, collaboration between the different services on the whole Europe territories.
07:30Look what happens in Le Havre, for example.
07:32The drugs coming from first from Rotterdam, then Antwerp, then Le Havre, and you talk about Marseille.
07:39And also, I repeat, only work with the police department and justice and not with the health department.
07:45And I have always been impressed that the people are afraid to speak about health and the mental health problem
07:51of a part of our population.
07:52For me, it's impossible to win in this fight.
07:55Yeah. We come to this aspect later.
07:58Is Belgium spending enough on police or is it just spending badly?
08:04Well, police needs to be funded on different levels.
08:07You have the local police, which is mostly funded by the local authorities.
08:12And this we see in Brussels, maybe Brussels of City or Brussels is not a bad example, but there are
08:17other communities, municipalities, with mayors,
08:20who are really lacking the proper funding of police.
08:24We see that the areas where the problems are the greatest now, in the south of Brussels, there is a
08:30lack of 600 to 800 police officers in the field.
08:34Of course, this is a lack of funding, which firstly needs to be addressed on the local level.
08:38And then you need the help, of course, of the federal level as well, with the federal police and federal
08:43investigative police, federal structures, which needs to be reinforced as well.
08:47But for me, one of the biggest challenges, of course, is to integrate the police on the Brussels level.
08:53Now this is going to happen.
08:55This is a reform taking place.
08:56But then, of course, you need to adjust the budgets as well.
09:00And I think the local level, the regional level, need to invest more in safety issues, safety measurements.
09:07I think this needs to be a priority.
09:09You know that now, since a few days, we have only one police department for Brussels with among 7,000
09:16police agents.
09:18But around Brussels, just 100 meters at the border of Brussels, there are some police departments of 50 police agents.
09:27It's ridiculous.
09:28I propose that this police department, around Brussels, work with us in the same zone.
09:34Because the border of the city, for the drug traffic, this is nonsense.
09:38Of course.
09:38And more collaboration, federal level for all the big inquiries, and the local level with more integrated policy departments.
09:47But I know that in Brussels and Belgium, there are always people who resist to work with Brussels.
09:52It's very strange, because we are the other assets of this country, Brussels, like I speak about the port of
09:59Antwerp.
10:00And I'm sure that the more we integrate it, the more we work together, it's better for our population.
10:05Mariusz, are you resisting working with Brussels?
10:07I think it's a bit contradictory.
10:10Brussels never really wants to integrate their own police force, and now they're asking to integrate other police forces.
10:16I think the main challenge right now is to...
10:19I think the main challenge right now is to integrate and have a fully operational police force for the whole
10:25of Brussels,
10:25with unified policies regarding drug trafficking and gun violence, etc.
10:30This is a major challenge right now for Brussels.
10:33And I urge the mayor, because he will be head of this police force, to really take up this responsibility
10:39and to have a unified response.
10:41And then, of course, you need to cooperate also with Barthe Weaver.
10:45He was also mentioned, our prime minister, because he acknowledges the problem.
10:48As the mayor of Antwerp, but also as a prime minister, he's clearly stating that he's almost becoming an existential
10:56threat, the gun violence and the drugs trade.
10:59And he's really trying to, on a national level, on an international level, putting this higher on the agenda.
11:04And in this way, I hope we can cooperate.
11:07OK.
11:07Quick response?
11:08Quick response, I repeat, we need to work also about public health.
11:12I repeat, only police department and justice department is not enough.
11:16I think in Europe we have a good example is what happens in Portugal.
11:20I have a meeting with Antonio Costa, our president of the council, the European council, to say, OK, how can
11:27we also manage this so huge challenge?
11:31And I repeat, so many people are using drugs and why they're using drugs.
11:34And we have also the expertise of a lot of medics, psychologists, all the people who try to help the
11:41politics to build another policy about drugs.
11:44And it's not a debate about the legalization and all this motto that if you want to talk about health,
11:50it's because you want legalization.
11:52You know, I want to find an issue.
11:54And also when I speak with the police department, they say, OK, we are police agents and the justice department
11:59does the same.
11:59We can fight against drug traffic, but to convince all the people, the people to stop with drugs is another
12:06question.
12:06It is not the police department.
12:08I need to stop you here.
12:09Thank you very much for this first round.
12:11I think we're just getting warmed up here and now it's time for Gloves Off.
12:20In this segment, we want our guests to ask each other questions and challenge each other directly.
12:27I'm going to start with Matthias.
12:29Do you have a question for the mayor?
12:33Many questions.
12:35But can you, for example, name one policy which you implemented yourself, which helped the security of our neighborhoods here
12:42in Brussels?
12:43Yeah, for example, we have a lot of problems of mental disease in Brussels, in the field.
12:49And the justice said, OK, these people are drugs addicts, but it's not regarding the justice.
12:55that we call the EMUT program.
12:57We build it with the federal government and the police department.
13:01And we are not psychologists.
13:02And the goal is to also say that the police department, that we reinforce against the drugs traffic and the
13:09drugs traffickers first, but for the people who are in drugs addiction, there are another solution.
13:16And we work with the different hospitals of the city to link police department and health department.
13:23It's for me very, very important always to do this sort of cross board between the different public services.
13:32I think, Matthias, you know that collaboration and work together is maybe the only issue.
13:40And it's true that I'm a little bit provocative when I say that, OK, we can do a big police
13:46department with the border outside of Brussels.
13:49But I think that you have a special role, your party, with all this municipality at the border of Brussels
13:55to convince them, OK, one police department I know is very difficult, but to integrate a sort of task force
14:02together, to work together for the welfare of the population.
14:07Yes, I think this is on a federal level.
14:11There's now projects being formed to unify police zones.
14:15And as you know, it's voluntarily, so I think it's for Brussels, except for Brussels, of course, which is implemented.
14:22But I think this is the challenges that some communities are facing right now to fill their annually budgets for
14:28the police force.
14:29And I think this is an exercise that will happen in the next few years.
14:33And how exactly which forms, which zones will you be unified?
14:37I don't know.
14:38Of course, this is for the mayors and the local level to decide.
14:41But I think this evolution will take place.
14:43Yes.
14:44OK, question for him.
14:45Another question maybe is how do you see the further cooperation with your other mayors?
14:50Of course, you're one of the 19 mayors.
14:53You also have a minister-president.
14:54And how do you see this to better unify, to have a stronger response as a whole with your cooperation
15:04with the other mayors and minister-presidents?
15:06I think all the mayors are very concerned about that.
15:10And the federal law decides that it's the mayor we need to lead the police department.
15:14We have in collaboration with the minister-president, whether it's a level of the region, there is more to give
15:21a sort of help to this new form of police department.
15:27But I'm very positive.
15:29I'm saying, first of all, it's a sort of state of mind.
15:32If we want to succeed, I'm very sure that we can do it.
15:37And now, OK, that's not the law that we expect.
15:40Everybody knows about that.
15:41But we respect the law.
15:44And now we build this new police department together.
15:47And I hope and I'm sure that for the best welfare of the population, that is going to be a
15:52success.
15:52What makes this topic so relevant and so important that it's not only Brussels, Anwar, Belgium, this is the major
15:59hub because you're close to all the important markets.
16:02The Dutch, the Germans, the French around you.
16:05What about European cooperation?
16:07Yes, I think for the Europeans, it's very important, but not only Europeans, it's a world cooperation because you know
16:14that the large part of the cocaine was made in South America, that we need also this contact with South
16:20America.
16:20But I repeat, war against drugs, only with police department, that's not enough.
16:26OK.
16:26We need also to share the experience of other countries, I repeat, like Portugal, about the health public department who
16:35can help all the drugs.
16:36OK, and now your question, your last question to Matthias.
16:39But I think what we need to do with the drugs is also a big conference when we stop with
16:45the motto and all the slogans and all the people say, I do that better than you.
16:50Do you have the feeling that our prime minister, if it's from your party, not from mine, is ready to
16:55organize a big conference with all the people who are leading local level, regional level, federal level, to try to
17:06build together a Belgian policy about fighting drugs?
17:11I think he's very open to the suggestion.
17:13I think you will know him personally as well as you have contacted him and also publicly is very outspoken
17:19in his war on drugs as a mayor, but also on a federal level as a prime minister.
17:23He has opened a task force which is integrated all the different ministers who have also, for example, in health
17:31care policies which are implemented and also have a role to play.
17:36And he's really trying to move forward.
17:38So if there is a question maybe from Brussels to cooperate or to have issues and to debate them on
17:43a national level, I think there always is a possibility.
17:47All right.
17:48Well, we have heard the views from our guests.
17:50Now it's time to introduce a new voice.
17:57And I would like to bring in Belgium's Drugs Commissioner Iné van Wiemers, who spoke about the social aspect of
18:03Belgium's drug problem.
18:05She said this.
18:06We cannot expect the military in the streets to solve the root causes of this problem.
18:11We know that we have to develop an educational policy and poverty policy.
18:16We need to get people back to work.
18:18We really have to raise the quality of life in our city.
18:22Does she have a point here?
18:24I think it's the best woman at the best place.
18:27Iné do very good jobs.
18:29He was formed also in Brussels and the Justice Department.
18:34We work also in the Police Department of Brussels.
18:38And Iné van Wiemers is very, very realistic.
18:41And Trey also to make collaboration with all the people.
18:45And as I repeat, drugs is not only for the police department.
18:49She speaks about education, about poverty, about what we can do together.
18:54She also speaks about military in the streets.
18:56That is an interesting aspect.
18:58Military.
18:58It exists.
18:59It exists.
19:00But does it help?
19:01Well, the main focus of military in the streets was first the security of public buildings which were under threat.
19:08Jewish synagogues, also public buildings in EU quarters, etc.
19:12Of course, they will never solve the drug problem as a whole.
19:16That is not their purpose to have them patrolling in the streets.
19:20You need to have other measures as well.
19:22Police measures, but also other health care measures, etc.
19:24To have a whole of government approach.
19:27And in this way, I agree with our drug commissioner.
19:31She compared it to an iceberg.
19:33I mean, the violence is at the top of the iceberg.
19:36Very visible.
19:37But you need to increase the temperature to make the iceberg melt.
19:41And then, of course, you need to work on poverty issues, safety issues, homelessness, etc.
19:46All right.
19:47Let's take a break.
19:48Here on The Ring, we'll be back with more after this.
19:51Don't go away.
20:00Welcome back to this special edition of The Ring, Euronews' weekly debate show.
20:05I'm Stefan Grobe, and I'm joined by Philipp Kloos, the mayor of the city of Brussels,
20:09and Matthias Vandenbaure from the opposition NVA party.
20:13We have data here from the Belgian Public Health Institute using wastewater measurements
20:18that show that during weekends, the amount of cocaine found in this water is significantly higher.
20:25This was especially the case in Namur, Liège, and Brussels South.
20:30The difference between weekends and weekdays was in some cases as high as 90%,
20:36indicating use almost doubled.
20:40Matthias, is this a surprise for you?
20:45I think the drug use in general and cocaine, it's almost everywhere integrated in our society,
20:52but we cannot really normalize it.
20:54Even though we know that it's readily available, we still need to consider it as a problem drug, I think.
21:00But you were talking obviously about nightlife, right?
21:03Yeah, yeah.
21:03Maybe in higher circles?
21:05But, you know, something I heard that the highest level of cocaine in the water
21:10is in this neighborhood, in the European neighborhood.
21:13It is not only against all this.
21:15But this is dead on weekends here, right?
21:17And this is during the week.
21:19And in the water, we learn that, because they can also study well in which part of the city,
21:27and it's true that it's in the south of Brussels, which is the rich part of Brussels,
21:31and here in the European area.
21:33Then also, I always say to the European responsible person that be careful.
21:39It's also a large part of people working because the work is so hard.
21:43They're using drugs not only to be fun, to go party, something like that,
21:48but because they need drugs to work.
21:49And that's a real problem for me.
21:51More and more people using drugs only because they need the drugs.
21:56They need between...
21:57Should that type of consumer face harsher penalties?
22:01I think you need to responsabilise the drug use as well.
22:04I mean, this is part of the integrated approach.
22:07I mean, you have to focalise on the gun violence, of course, and the gangs,
22:10and you need to attack also the middle and the higher management
22:13and the trades, the money, and all those measures.
22:16But in a way, you need to also responsabilise the users.
22:19And this is what Barthe Weaver also is saying in Antwerp
22:22and in his fight against drugs,
22:24that it's not really so innocent to use drugs yourself
22:28because you're really compliant or a part of this whole scheme.
22:34And the real drug violence originates in the South of America
22:38with all the extreme gun violence.
22:41And in a way, as an end user, you're a part of this.
22:44For example, if you compare it to the trade of clothing,
22:49when it's really made in an unsanitary way or with child labour, etc.,
22:55people will say,
22:56OK, we won't buy this anymore.
22:57But I think you need to say the same about drugs.
23:00I mean, you're part of this very disorganised crime, in a way.
23:04I'm going to bring up against the educational aspect,
23:08and you alluded to that earlier.
23:10Now, drugs, it's an old problem, right?
23:13And even when I was in school, many years ago,
23:16I was told that drugs are bad.
23:19Why is that system failing?
23:22If we see that drugs are among youngsters,
23:26the use of drugs is increasing.
23:29Remember in the 80s, because there was a slogan, a motto,
23:32in the United States, it was just say no.
23:34But that's not enough.
23:35Just say no.
23:36Remember, it's Nancy Reagan who said that.
23:39Right.
23:39Just say no is not enough.
23:40If you want to educate someone, you need to explain,
23:43to find the issue, why so many people are using that.
23:47So why is that not happening enough?
23:48But because the people doesn't want to pick up on public health.
23:52They say, OK, we ask at the police department to solve this problem.
23:55I repeat, when I ask to the youth people,
23:58why do you use drugs?
23:59It's because it's cheaper than to pay a cocktail.
24:02I want to be high.
24:03I want to go to a party.
24:04Then it's MDMA, cocaine, ecstasy.
24:07Then they're using that because I want to be high.
24:09And it's cheaper than to take a cocktail.
24:13That's a real big problem.
24:14And we need to, if you want an education program,
24:18first of all, politicians need to accept that we need to educate people with the drugs.
24:23Not for the people using drugs,
24:25but also because we need to learn about the different addiction.
24:29All right.
24:30Now it's time to move on to our fifth and final round.
24:37And here we want to do something different.
24:40I'm going to ask you a set of questions
24:41and you can only answer with yes or no.
24:45Most guests do that.
24:46Impossible for a competition.
24:47Maybe.
24:48OK.
24:48Maybe not.
24:49So the first one is for you.
24:52Has Belgium lost control of the drug issue?
24:55No.
24:56Not yet.
24:58OK.
24:59Is Brussels less safe than it was five years ago?
25:03Yes.
25:04No.
25:05Does Belgium need tougher sentencing laws?
25:08Tougher punishments?
25:10Tougher punishments?
25:12Yes.
25:15Yes.
25:15Should combating drug trafficking become Belgium's number one security priority?
25:22Top five, yes.
25:24Top three.
25:24Yes.
25:25Same answer.
25:27OK.
25:28Police complain they arrest suspects only to see them released days later.
25:32Is Belgium's justice system broken?
25:35No.
25:38Yes.
25:39In that way, yes.
25:40Is there simply too little fear of punishment in Belgium today?
25:44Yes.
25:45Against the deterrence?
25:47Mm-hmm.
25:47No.
25:48Should Belgium legalize some drugs to undercut criminal networks?
25:52Yes.
25:53No.
25:55Is corruption linked to drug trafficking now one of Belgium's biggest internal threats?
26:00Yes.
26:01Yes.
26:02OK.
26:03That word of the narco state by the judge is...
26:06I think we are not a narco state, but corruption exists, depends also on drugs.
26:11Do you trust your opponent's party to solve this crisis?
26:14No.
26:15Yes.
26:18All right.
26:19Was there anything your opponent said over the past half hour that you agree with?
26:23For sure.
26:24I'm sure.
26:24You know, in Belgium you are not agree alone.
26:26It's always the same.
26:28That's what we love about this country.
26:30Yeah.
26:31Yeah.
26:32Oh, yes.
26:57and other level to convince also the level that Brussels is not only a hellhole, as Trent
27:03said, but there are always issues that we can build together.
27:06Okay.
27:07Fantastic.
27:08On that note, this final answer brings us to the end of the special edition of The Ring.
27:13Thanks again to Philipp Kloth.
27:14Thank you very much.
27:15Matthias Vandenbauer.
27:16Thank you.
27:16for a lively conversation.
27:17Thanks to our audience at home.
27:19If you like, you can continue the conversation by sending us your comments to thering at euronews.com.
27:25We'd love to have your feedback.
27:27That's it for today.
27:29I'm Stefan Grobe.
27:29Take care and see you soon on Euronews.