The party met one last time, 24 hours before the municipal and provincial council elections take place on Sunday. New Flemish Prime Minister Matthias Diependaele and Antwerp alderman Els van Doesburg, among others, were present. Still, we were especially looking forward to the speech by Bart De Wever: N-VA chairman, federal formateur and mayor of Antwerp.
De Wever welcomed his militants and candidates and spoke about the party’s busy year. He referred to the campaign towards June 9, the subsequent government negotiations at federal and Flemish level, and that in between the campaign towards the elections on Sunday.
“It’s actually almost inhumane,” said De Wever. “But we have once again lived up to our reputation as a well-oiled machine: this Sunday, 99% of Flemish people will be able to vote for an N-VA candidate. And in the vast majority of places we stand under our own name: the N-VA. No party imitates us, not even close.”
“This Sunday, 99% of Flemish people will be able to vote for an N-VA candidate. And in the vast majority of places we stand under our own name: the N-VA. No party imitates us, not even close.”
Bart De Wever (N-VA)
Party chairman
De Wever then went to the provinces to encourage the leaders. He ended with Antwerp, “my own province”, and took out the cities of Turnhout and – of course – Antwerp. “In Turnhout, traditionally a difficult city to govern, I hope that Paul Van Miert will be rewarded for the stability that he managed to achieve there for the first time in a very long time. Because Paul is the best choice for Turnhout. And finally there is the Koekenstad. As mayor, I look with great pride at the work that my team has done here in Antwerp. And I hope that it will be appreciated again by the Sinjoor tomorrow (Sunday, ed.) at the ballot box.”
Lasagne
Striking: at no time were the letters PVDA, the extreme left party that is the major challenger to De Wever in Antwerp with Jos D’Haese. “The final meeting is about itself,” said an insider. “That is why PVDA is not mentioned anywhere.”
Although De Wever did take a swipe at PVDA between the lines after talking about the “persuasive power that confirmed us four months ago as the largest party in Flanders”. “We don’t achieve this by telling fairy tales,” said De Wever. “We do not achieve this by convincing people that governments can spend endless money. We do not achieve this by misleading communities with lies and false promises. We do not achieve this by turning people against each other through extremism and hate speech.”
After which De Wever again focused on his own party, which wants “everyone to feel at home in the security of our community”. According to De Wever, that story “does not start in Wetstraat, but in Dorpstraat”. “That is where the bottom layer of our identity lies. And just like with a lasagna, the bottom layer is the tastiest, the layer that sticks best.” Those present must have had their mouths watering.
At the end, De Wever fired up his troops one last time. “We have just under 24 hours left. Let us make the most of this final campaign day to highlight our message one last time. Go out there one last time later. Do everything you can one more time to get those last votes.” After which he ended hopefully with victor RomeRome is victorious.
READ ALSO. N-VA party leader Bart De Wever: “Anyone who believes that PVDA can solve the housing problem is crazy”
