“It is a pity that we have to hear in the press what the head of government thinks,” said Vooruit chairman Conner Rousseau dryly to Prime Minister Alexander De Croo’s (Open Vld) proposal to put some European environmental laws on hold. “There is a false dichotomy between nature and climate. It is precisely because of the long procrastination of the Flemish government – about nitrogen, about our spatial planning – that we are in a situation where we have to intervene. If we do nothing, the climate and the environment will cost ordinary people the most.”
Eliminating climate inequality is the spearhead of the Vooruit position on climate and energy, says Rousseau in an interview with The morning. “If you do nothing about the climate battle, inequality will only increase, internationally, but also here. It was not the villas with the large gardens that were washed away in Liège and Verviers, but the workers’ houses on the water. We see the same thing with the energy crisis: the lack of an ambitious plan pushes people here into energy poverty and some people live here in the worst insulated and most emitting homes in Europe. You have to tackle that collectively.”
Specifically, Vooruit is launching a plan for large-scale, collective renovation of homes. “Neighbourhood by district, street by street”, the party wants to make up to 180,000 homes per year more climate-proof, with pre-financing from the government. Rousseau: “We do that via Fluvius, because they have all the data. The deal is: we will renovate homes with an energy bill of 200 euros per month, bringing the energy bill to 100 euros per month. Better for the wallet and better for the climate. And we divide the other 100 euros fairly: 50 euros lower invoice, instead of 200 you will pay 150 euros. And 50 euros will go back to the government to repay the investment.”
Individual subsidies for renovations and insulation will be abolished. There will be a specific consumer credit for solar panels that people can repay with the profit they make through cheaper solar energy.
New technologies
Vooruit makes a turn about nuclear energy. In recent decades, the socialists have continued to defend the nuclear phase-out together with the greens, but that time has now passed. “I myself have always thought that we should be able to think openly about this,” explains Rousseau. “Our climate battle is too important to rule out possibilities in advance. Our absolute priority is renewable energy: wind and solar. This also means that substantial investments must be made in strengthening the electricity grid.
“But we also believe that we should continue to invest in all new technologies. And if those technologies include new forms of nuclear energy, then you cannot dogmatically rule that out in advance. Honestly: is there a good chance that there will be new nuclear power plants in ten years’ time? I do not think so. But should you be open to that? I think so.”
Rousseau denies that he is out to tactically increase the difference with Green. “Climate policy today is too individualized: you can’t eat steak, you have to eat the heating expanding… You are not going to build support on that. We point out to the government its responsibilities so that an ordinary working Fleming can also participate. Also at Groen I often have the feeling that the finger is being pointed at the individual. If you ever go outside, you notice that this is not the story that the Flemings are waiting for.”
Incidentally, Vooruit does advocate the systematic phasing out of the system of company cars. “That should be part of the major tax reform,” says Rousseau. “We have to pay people in euros again instead of in cars, so that people can make their own choice about their mobility. We must upgrade public transport so that it is a worthy alternative and we no longer have to subsidize traffic jams and traffic accidents. The European Commission rebukes us for this every year. They are just right.”
You can read the full interview with Conner Rousseau on Saturday in De Morgen’s weekend paper.
