N-VA MP Sander Loones accuses the government of not being honest about the actual budget deficit. This is “much higher” than the 18.5 billion euros that Belgium is heading for in 2024 because income is overestimated and expenditure is underestimated. “But you are not honest about that,” he accused the government during the budget debate in Parliament.
The House is currently debating the 2024 budget, the last major budget debate before the June elections. The discussions can continue all evening (and perhaps even night).
Loones was allowed to take the lead and sketched a dark picture of the future. “The federal government has made little or no reforms in recent years in the field of the labor market, pensions and taxation. Without changed policy, it is heading for a deficit of 33 billion euros,” he said.
“Crisis cabinet needed”
The deficit for 2024, which is estimated at around 18.5 billion euros, is a gross underestimate, according to the N-VA member. “The income from, among other things, the minimum tax for multinationals, corporate tax, the Belfius dividend or the frozen Russian assets at Euroclear is overestimated, as is the income from fraud and excise duties,” it said.
In addition, according to Loones, “a lot of expenses have not yet been taken into account”. He called on the government to implement reforms in the remaining months of the legislature. He reiterated that the N-VA wants to quickly set up a crisis cabinet after the elections “to correct today’s misery”.
The N-VA member could count on resistance from the majority parties. Wouter Beke (CD&V) emphasized that the government has indeed implemented reforms and referred, among other things, to the capping of the equalization of civil servants’ pensions and the employment conditions for access to the minimum pension. “As far as we are concerned, more needs to be done, but things have certainly happened,” he said.
“Your party is a threat”
Vooruit faction leader Joris Vandenbroucke drew attention to Flanders, where N-VA is the largest party in the government. “What threatens the Flemish prosperity you like to talk about? The declining quality of education, the enormous waiting lists in healthcare and the major shortages in childcare. If there is anything that threatens the future of Flanders, it is your party that is not taking its responsibility.”
Vooruit faction leader Joris Vandenbroucke. © Photo News
Vincent Van Quickenborne (Open Vld) took aim at Loones’ employment figures. The latter claimed that the activity rate has increased by just 0.4 percentage points since just before the corona pandemic, good for 92,000 jobs. “Normally there should be 40,000 per year,” it sounds.
Vincent Van Quickenborne (Open Vld). © BELGA
However, according to Van Quickenborne, Loones compared to a quarter in which the Vivaldi government had not yet started and there was actually an increase of 1.8 percentage points. “Under the Michel government, of which N-VA was part, the increase was 2.8 percentage points,” Van Quickenborne said. “That was not spectacularly much better in much better economic circumstances.”
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2023-12-19 17:02:56
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