“I am a socialist”
In Pano’s report which highlighted these cases of fraud in Anderlecht, Mustapha Akouz – the former president of the CPAS who put pressure on to move certain files through more quickly – seems to fully accept this practice. “I am a socialist. I am proud to be, to help my neighbor. You can blame me for that but that’s how it is “, he told VRT.
This bundle of facts led the eleven parliamentary groups to shoot at the PS on sight. MP Theo Francken (N-VA) calls for an end to the PS system. “She was president of the CPAS in Brussels City for years. Have you seen the budget explosion under his presidency? This is the PS system: I give you the RIS and you vote for me. It’s fraud, corruption, cronyism, abuse of corporate assets. This system must be changed. We need to carry out audits and compare with Flanders.”
Go ahead, distance yourself
More surprising is Vooruit’s attitude. While the Flemish socialists were expected to spare their sister party, the latter were particularly incisive. “Your response is disappointing. You are hiding behind the opposition. Every socialist here should be furious. If we want to give arguments to the right-wing parties so that our security, solidarity, is destroyed, continue like this” , laminated Anja Varobaeys before delivering the fatal blow by pointing “all these politicians who let it happen.”
We felt in the leader of the Flemish socialists a clear desire to distinguish themselves from the PS, to show that from now on, the two parties will no longer publicly play in the same camp.
The VLD tightens the muscles
The other party which showed itself today in its opposition costume is the Open VLD. After years of holding back against his socialist government partners, the former Vice-Prime, Vincent Van Quickenborne, let go. Against Karine Lalieux first: “your answer is mind-blowing. It shows that you are not taking the situation seriously. You are not worthy of the office.”. But also against the Arizona parties (N-VA, MR, Les Engagés, Vooruit, CD&V) whom they accuse of slowing down the affair.
At the same time, we observe that no more cries of anger emerge from Arizona. “We work six days a week”, a team of negotiators responds. “All I can tell you is that the atmosphere is constructive.” confirms Sammy Mahdi, president of CD&V. “The government agreement? Probably at Christmas, under the tree”adds a third party involved in the negotiations.
