Egbert Lachaert: “If the Open VLD falls into ruin, the MR will have to act so that a liberal party survives in Flanders”

Georges-Louis Bouchez asserts that, to avoid defeat, the Open VLD should have done like the MR and positioned itself as a true right-wing party. You agree ?

Yes. It’s been twenty years since the Open VLD made the mistake of leaving room for its right. The N-VA succeeded in attracting our voters. Since then, we have consistently lost elections. In 2020, my election as president of the Open VLD aimed to take back these votes. But it is not easy to change a party that has governed for so long. Many personalities within the Open VLD believed that managing the country well was enough to convince voters.

Open VLD will have to reinvent itself from a blank sheet

This analysis is shared in most of the so-called “governing” parties.

There you go… The MR experienced the same problem after the government of Charles Michel. Everything was done within the MR to allow the federal coalition of which he was Prime Minister to remain united. In this way, a party always loses its color, its convictions. And that’s really not appealing to voters. This is a lesson for the MR as for the Open VLD: pure management is not enough. We must have a clear liberal line: we are on the right on a socio-economic level. But we also need clear lines on the right on security, asylum and migration. Under Vivaldi, the Open VLD no longer dared to say anything. I was criticized within my party every time I insisted on the dark blue line.

These findings, Bart De Wever knows them. Will he really become Prime Minister and accept painful concessions for his party, the N-VA?

He has all the cards in hand to succeed. The game has never been easier to find a center-right solution to carry out the necessary reforms in this country. Vooruit is on the left? Yes, but on social issues, it is a center-right party… Bart must really take responsibility and take the “16”. He must become Prime Minister. It’s now or never. If he does not become Prime Minister, he will never again have the right to reproach other parties…

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In Freepresident of the CD&V, Sammy Mahdi, was skeptical about the possibilities of survival of the Open VLD. For him, there already exists a liberal party in Flanders: the N-VA…

I do not agree. The N-VA is a nationalist party which wants confederalism. His philosophical current is not the same as ours. The nationalists copied part of our socio-economic program; but the copy is not worth the original. We are close but there are differences. Particularly on ethical issues where Open VLD is not conservative. There is also a difference in attitude: the liberals are optimistic while in the N-VA, the tone is negative, turned towards the past. I am convinced: there is a future for a real liberal party in Flanders.

But the Open VLD must carry out an overhaul…

Yes. A complete break is required. We governed for 25 years with the same people. At the party office, same thing: the same faces for a long time… We must close this book and open a new one. Between 20 and 25% of people say they are liberal in Flanders but, for the moment, two thirds of these people no longer vote for us. This is one of the good things about the debacle of June 9: many old personalities of the Open VLD will disappear from the scene, which will allow new faces to emerge. With these people and with strong liberal lines, we can recreate a powerful liberal party in Flanders.

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Who will be the future president of the Open VLD? The party remains divided between its left wing and its right wing…

There are different accents in liberalism, that’s true. When you’re at 25%, that’s not a problem. But when you’re at 8%, as is the case now, you absolutely have to defend a unified line. I talk to a lot of people, I’m willing to play a role, but I don’t know yet if I’m going to run for party president. Discussions are underway. We’ll need an authoritarian, somewhat dictatorial president to keep the troops in line. But above all, I want a clear line. And this line must not be left-wing. There’s no room on that side: we’re going to be in opposition with the PTB and Groen… The Open VLD must embody the right-wing opposition to the future “Arizona” coalition.

If the Open VLD does not find a solution, could the MR recreate a national liberal party?

When I was president, I tried to work more with the MR. We moved away during the Michel government. With Georges-Louis, we wanted to recreate the liberal family. Is it in our interest to have only one major party at the Belgian level? I don’t know. But if things go really badly within the Open VLD, if the party falls into ruin, the MR will have to act so that a liberal party survives in Flanders.

That’s to say ? Will the MR have to create local sections in Flanders, present lists there in the elections? like the N-VA did in Wallonia ?

It would be different because there is this potential of 25% of liberal voters to seek out. The N-VA in Wallonia was not successful. I hope this debate will not be necessary. But I know that Georges-Louis has a lot of interest in Flanders and I am sure that he will ensure that liberalism survives in the north of the country.