Unless there is a huge surprise, the trainer should obtain an extension of his mission. The last of the last. “This clearly means that at the end of January he will go to the Palace to throw in the towel or take the oath.”recalls someone close to the negotiations.
This Tuesday, Bart De Wever should simply report on the progress made. Will he also present a “significant breakthrough in the negotiations” that the Palace had requested for January 7? To have !
The socio-economic, stumbling block
This Monday morning, negotiators from the five parties resumed their discussions around the latest version of the trainer’s socio-economic note. If they first addressed the question of the job market, they then looked at the very sensitive chapter of taxation. A subject where the visions of the Flemish socialists of Vooruit and the French-speaking liberals of the MR diverge profoundly.
And if some presidents remain silent, Georges-Louis Bouchez once again recalled this Monday morning on La Première (RTBF) that his party would not accept an increase in taxation and that he was not “not ready to compromise at any cost.
“Politicians are criticized for making a lot of promises during the campaign and forgetting them the day after the election. I don’t do that.”he said. “Obviously compromises will have to be made. But I can’t compromise on major elements. […] I said that there would be no tax increase and that there would be a differential of at least €500 between those who work and those who do not. […] The overall tax burden must not increase.”
These declarations, which are added to other recent positions, arouse a certain annoyance in the other parties. Some claim that they go against the request of Bart De Wever, who insisted on the need for discretion in this crucial phase of the negotiations.
During his well-wishing tour, Georges-Louis Bouche also recalled that the planned budgetary effort would be 23 billion euros, and that it will be achieved through consolidation and tax reform. An amount which would, as a reminder, allow us to return to the trajectory recommended by the European Union. Could the “Arizonians” find the beginning of a magic formula in the next few hours? At the time of writing, discussions were continuing this Monday evening. And a new meeting was already on the agenda for this Tuesday morning.
Voka’s impatience
If the population starts to get impatient, so do economic circles! Thus, this Monday evening, Rudy Provoost, the president of Voka, the influential Flemish Business Union, denounced a “culpable negligence” negotiators. For him, large companies and SMEs cross “the most serious crisis in years” : “The discomfort is deep and of multiple origins. It is fueled by sluggish demand, exorbitant regulatory pressure, excessively high taxes and a widening wage handicap with our neighboring countries.”he said at the Voka New Year’s reception. “Party presidents […] must quickly understand that political impact is not measured by the number of votes garnered, but by the capacity to implement a policy.”
For Rudy Provoost, the electoral promises “unachievable and unpayable” must give way”to a common vision and a lasting cooperation agreement”.
