Lhe Deputy Prime Minister of the federal government, Petra De Sutter (Groen), regretted on Tuesday that the rights of LGBTQIA+ people and gender issues had become a central campaign theme. “I thought this discussion was over,” she said during a campaign event for Flemish environmentalists in Antwerp. However, it is good “for the masks to fall”, she adds, targeting Vlaams Belang.
Vlaams Belang at the center of the debates
During the last few weeks, the campaign themes seemed to deviate from the more traditional budget and migration to address the rights of LGBTQIA+ people. It is above all the positions taken by Vlaams Belang that are of concern. The VB affirms that it does not want to touch the rights already acquired, but does not want us to go further on gender issues.
“Obviously, we live in a society where this must once again be a subject of discussion,” notes Petra De Sutter. The minister points out that there are also risks for women’s rights, taking for example the increased bonus that Vlaams Belang is proposing to introduce for women who procreate before the age of 30. The party “goes back 40-50 years,” she believes. “It is good for the masks to fall: if you vote for this party, that is part of the package.”
