Minister quits over leaked report on Brussels airport security lapses

A Belgian minister has quit after a report emerged criticising security almost a year before the Brussels Airport twin bombings. Transport minister Jacqueline Galant resigned on Friday after the EU document detailing lapses in airport security oversight was leaked. She said she had not seen the document which was leaked by two Belgian opposition parties. But she stood down after prime minister Charles Michel contradicted her by saying “a summary of this report was discussed and sent to the minister’s cabinet in June 2015”.

The orchestrated and theatrical confusion of the last 48 hours prevents me from continuing in the performance of my duties

Transport minister Jacqueline Galant

The report from European Commission inspectors has emerged weeks after suicide bombers killed 32 people in separate attacks on the city’s airport and a metro station. It identified "serious deficiencies" and said airport security programmes, air carriers and suppliers were “not adequately monitored”. Ms Galant, 42, stood down the day after the resignation of Belgian federal transport agency chief Laurent Ledoux on Thursday. He complained of a lack of funding and said the minister herself should “take responsibility and step aside”.

Jacqueline Galant