On this first day of summer, Saint-Nicolas, a town located between Antwerp and Ghent, seems to hold the key to the formation of the next Belgian federal government. While the Grand-Place, decorated with the statue of the Saint of Children, inspires confidence, the inhabitants have a firm opinion on the future prime minister and the composition of the future government coalition.
Summer hesitates in Saint-Nicolas. I’m going there this Thursday, June 20, the first official day of the summer season, or at least that’s its name. On the Grand-Place, the largest in Flanders, sits a statue of the Great Saint. Is it due to the inspiration that comes from a child’s best friend? The capital of the Waas country, halfway between Antwerp and Ghent, seems to hold the solution for the formation of the federal government.
Question 1: who will be the future prime minister?
“Bart De Wever of course“, says a majority of locals, even those who voted Vlaams Belang on June 9.”He is the most experienced of our politicians, the most intelligent, the best elected, it must be him.“
Question 2: what will the future coalition be?
Once again, Sint-Niklaas speaks with one voice: “Vooruit must ascend to the federal government. In any case if the Flemish socialist party gets enough for Belgium below.“Saint-Nicolas therefore promotes the Arizona coalition: N-VA, MR, Les Engagés, CD&V and Vooruit.
Yes, at Saint-Nicolas, we believe it. Perhaps with good reason. Bart De Wever tasked a member of his party, Matthias Diependaele, outgoing Flemish budget minister, with forming the Flemish government. That leaves time for him, Bart, the most famous of the nationalists, to take care of the federal government full time, a shame when you think about it.
It must be said that his party’s priority is to achieve confederalism and it is in the House of Representatives that reforms in this direction can be voted on. “Bart De Wever really wants to be prime minister“, I hear it from several sources within the N-VA itself.
Unless he ultimately has to cede the position to Conner Rousseau to compensate Vooruit, the only left-wing party to commit to the future center-right team. Conner and Bart get along like thieves at the Antwerp fair, why not Conner I?
As for whether Vooruit will join the federal team, the ease with which the northern socialists agreed to begin negotiations for the formation of the Flemish government suggests the best.
A few days before the elections, President Melissa Depraetere had already stated that her party could opt for power without its sister party, the PS. That the socialists from the north and the south share the same building on Boulevard de l’Empereur in Brussels is not a problem.
Their respective presidents are housed on different floors and rarely see each other. Last element, the most important: in this week’s Krant van West-Vlaanderen, Madame Depraetere has just declared: “I think we should try to go to the federal level.” All is said.
So, yes: the planets and especially the parties are aligning. Belgium seems to be becoming a normal country again. The king’s informant, Bart De Wever, acts with the greatest discretion. A discretion respected by its undoubtedly future partners.
There is trust. Respect. From there to getting carried away, no. What’s inside a gift package sometimes disappoints. Even if the package bears the Saint-Nicolas guarantee.
Flemish accent Bart de Wever conner rousseau
