Belgian PM on Brussels 'lockdown': 'Things clearly went too far'

Some of the measures taken by the government after the terrorist attacks in Paris may in hindsight have been exaggerated, prime minister Charles Michel said in interviews last week with Het Nieuwsblad and Le Soir. He proposed that a command unit be established to run matters in a similar emergency.

“I would rather be criticised for doing too much than too little,” he said. “When a government is confronted with such a crisis, as prime minister you want to take the best decision possible.”

The night of Friday 20 to Saturday 21 November was, he said, “the most difficult moment of my career”. One week after the Paris attack, the threat of an attack in Brussels became concrete and imminent, and the threat level was raised from 3 to 4. That led to a closure of the metro, shopping centres, bars and other public places.

“At a moment like that you don’t think of the political consequences,” Michel said. “The only thing you think of is: What can and I do and what should I do? There’s no time for a lengthy analysis, and I didn’t hesitate.”

The closing of commercial centres, however, was the decision of the mayors of the Brussels-Capital Region. “Then one decided to close his swimming pool, another a sports centre, and finally it was decided that we would close the shopping centres,” said Michel. “I’m not blaming anyone. Everyone was trying to do their best at their own level. But looking back, things clearly went too far.”

The situation was a good lesson in how to manage a crisis situation in future, he said. “What we need is some kind of command unit, so we don’t forget to keep things in perspective.”

Photo: Olivier Polet/Corbis