BackIn 2025, the Flemish Ombudsman Service received 10,158 questions and complaints, with a remarkable increase in the number of second‑line complaints. A growing cohort of citizens ends up at the Flemish Ombuds Service when procedures are too complex, when they struggle with digital public service desks, or when communication from governmental actors is unclear. According to Flemish Ombudsman, Myriam Parys, these signals show that there is still room for improvement for the Flemish Government when it comes to becoming more accessible, transparent, and responsive. That is why she is advocating more than ever for a government that is tailored to the needs of the people.
Record number of second-line complaints
In 2025, the Flemish Ombudsman Service passed the threshold of 10,000 questions and complaints: an increase of 16% compared to 2024 and ten times as many as after its inauguration in 1999. In particular, the number of second-line complaints rose sharply. These are complaints for which citizens did not reach a solution with a complaints service of the Flemish Government, and in which the Flemish Ombudsman Service mediates. With a whopping 2,672 second-line cases, the Flemish Ombudsman Service recorded a 10% increase compared to 2024, a record high. Two out of three of these complaints were resolved amicably, resulting in reconciliation or clarification for the citizen.
“The continuously rising number of complaints is not, in my view, a sign of a failing government”, says Flemish Ombudsman Myriam Parys. “Citizens have become more assertive, know their rights better, and find their way to the Flemish Ombudsman Service more easily.” Each complaint reveals where things go wrong in the interaction between the government and its citizens. The Flemish Ombudsman Service has a dual mission: to look for solutions in individual cases and to formulate structural recommendations that help build a government that can regain public trust.
Where citizens encounter the most difficulties: Energy, environment and mobility
The top three themes of second-line complaints in 2025 were:
1. Energy (25.7%)
- Complaints about the installation of the digital meter
- Incorrect or tardy information about the retroactive investment bonus of Fluvius
2. Environment (17%)
- Difficulties with the digital Environmental Desk (Omgevingsloket)
- Dissatisfaction about rising drinking water prices and regional tariff differences
3. Mobility and public reconstruction (15.7%)
- The new penalty policy of De Lijn
- Long waiting lists for driving exams or vehicle inspections
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Source: The Flemish Ombudsman Service, Belgium
