As a reminder, the Flemish socialists have been repeating for months that they want a more equitable distribution of the budgetary consolidation effort. They target in particular the contribution of major heritage sites. Last week, they left the negotiating table and, on Tuesday, the King extended Bart De Wever’s mission. The objective remains to form an “Arizona” majority, bringing together the N-VA, the MR, the Engagés, the CD&V and Vooruit.
Federal negotiations: special powers, a “questionable” technique to circumvent a majority that is too short
The MR singled out
The four remaining parties are calling on Vooruit to resume discussions. The trainer insisted Tuesday evening that the only way to assert his point of view was through negotiation. But, therefore, Melissa Depraetere appears pessimistic and points the finger at the MR, another right-wing formation alongside the N-VA. “Georges-Louis Bouchez says that it has been the same score for five months and that the score will not change,” she stressed.
However, the Flemish socialists say they are aware that difficult measures will have to be taken to restore public finances and that the population did not vote for left-wing policies. “We have already taken steps towards the other parties. We are now asking that on one point, they take a step in our direction so that all the efforts do not rest on the shoulders of the same people”, explained the minister.
Federal formation: “People are afraid of a long political crisis, we can actually avoid it”, says De Wever
150 days ago, Belgians went to the polls. Today, the formation of the federal government is at an impasse. In Ms Depraetere’s eyes, the other parties are acting “irresponsibly” by letting things go this way. Conversely, these “other parties” do not fail to point the finger at Vooruit’s attitude… The Engagés and the CD&V, who also have serious objections to the trainer’s socio-economic rating, have been harsh in recent times days towards the socialists.
Melissa Depraetere does not spare the centrists: “I did not see that they managed to change the content of the note. Georges-Louis Bouchez continually repeats that this note is balanced. Change only a few commas so that it is less painful, that’s not what we’re going to do.”
If the “Arizona” scenario definitively fails in two weeks, plan B should be activated. As a reminder, it consists of replacing the socialists with the Open VLD (the “Lagon” coalition).
