“Belgium will be able to submit a name within the deadline,” assured MR president Georges-Louis Bouchez, regarding the designation of the future European commissioner.
> It is up to the MR and the Engagés to choose the future European Commissioner: Reynders in pole position? More than ever!
The presidents of the five Arizona parties met during the day, for the first time since the failure of Bart De Wever’s training mission. On the agenda was the choice of the Belgian candidate for the European Commission expected by Ursula von der Leyen for Friday.
Asked about this on the set of Jeudi en Prime (RTBF), Georges-Louis Bouchez did not give a name but assured that the partners had “decided on a way of operating” which “will allow a name to be provided on time.”
A week ago, Bart De Wever asked the King to be relieved of his mission as trainer, as his latest socio-economic note had not been the subject of an agreement between the five parties (N-VA, CD&V, Vooruit, MR and Les Engagés). The very next day, the Head of State appointed the president of Les Engagés, Maxime Prévot, as mediator.
For Georges-Louis Bouchez, his mission should be crowned with success. “We are going in the right direction,” he said. “The will is very clear on our side, and I have not heard anything else at the table, it is to be able to leave as quickly as possible in the Arizona formula with, at the end, Bart De Wever as Prime Minister.”
The five parties had initially stated their ambition to form a government by 20 September. By this date, Belgium must have communicated its national budget plan to the European Commission, as part of the excessive deficit procedure initiated against the country.
If he deems it necessary to form a government quickly, the MR president does not intend to confine himself to this deadline. “I prefer to take one or two more weeks to then have five years of quality. (…) My wish is that we have the most precise government agreement possible so that, during the next five years, the government no longer has to argue, but only has to implement the reforms that the country needs.”
