As minister-president, Mr. Diependaele was the first to pronounce before the Flemish deputies the legal formula in Dutch: “I swear loyalty to the King, obedience to the Constitution and the laws of the Belgian people”.
At the same time, the children of the Flemish Minister-President unfurled a banner in the gallery reserved for the public proclaiming: “Proficiat vake. De mayonaise heeft gepakt!” (“Congratulations pa. The mayonnaise has set!).
His motto makes socialists and ecologists jump: who is Matthias Diependaele, this strong man of the N-VA who will be Flemish minister-president?
Après M. Diependaele, the sont tour à tour Melissa Depraetere (Vooruit), Hilde Crevits (CD&V), Ben Weyts (N-VA), Zuhal Demir (N-VA), Caroline Gennez (Vooruit), Jo Brouns (CD&V), Annick De Ridder (N-VA) and Cieltje Van Achter (N-VA) are here to start.
The plenary session of the Flemish Parliament was immediately suspended after the swearing-in in order to organize a short session to install the new Flemish government.
Mr. Diependaele then headed to the Palace to take the oath before the King. He will then immediately return to Parliament for the traditional “Septemberverklaring”, the annual general policy declaration of the Flemish government.
