“The difficulties encountered at federal level have no impact on the progress of the negotiations in Flanders“, says a source. At the rate things are going, the three partners (N-VA, Vooruit and CD&V) definitely intend to meet the deadline. Which does not prevent Matthias Diependaele from moving forward cautiously. The aim is not to dampen the atmosphere at the negotiating table. And for good reason. Sometimes, it is very close. The three partners do not yet agree on everything.
Flemish formation: the compulsory merger of municipalities remains divisive among negotiators
Nitrogen, this puzzle
As of today, the N-VA, Vooruit and the CD&V will hold internal consultations. On Saturday, the formateur will present separately to Vooruit and the CD&V a summary note that would allow a further step to be taken towards a government agreement. The text will put forward the various possible solutions to the remaining obstacles and will also contain the budget tables.
Negotiations will resume on the basis of this note on Monday. There will then be about twenty days to conclude. According to Mr Diependaele, “Many compromises have already been found, but there are still many things to discuss“. In particular on education, service vouchers (will they cost consumers more?), growth or regulations on nitrogen emissions.
On this last point, the CD&V is still sticking to its guns. Sammy Mahdi’s party wants a version of the nitrogen agreement as conceived by the Boerenbond, the farmers’ union in Flanders. This agreement, which was hard-fought during the last legislature, provides for a significant reduction in nitrogen emissions by 2030. But the Boerenbond farmers have started proceedings before the Constitutional Court against the text. The CD&V would like to review the rules. However, the N-VA and Vooruit do not see it that way.
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Free but contested hot meals
The three partners also discussed education. Vooruit wants to impose hot meals for all children in the canteen at all costs. The N-VA has always maintained that parents who do not learn Dutch should pay for these meals themselves. For the CD&V and the N-VA, this measure is exaggerated.
And then, we will also have to discuss the obligation for municipalities with fewer than 25,000 inhabitants to merge, the distribution of municipal funds and the abolition of provinces. So many subjects that do not have unanimous support, far from it.
Finally, the negotiators will have to reach an agreement on the budget. Mathias Diependaele, Minister of Finance and Budget in the previous government, is demanding a return to balance in 2027. Vooruit and the CD&V, for their part, consider that this deadline is not realistic.
