Vooruit is ready to resume negotiations to form a new federal government as soon as the socio-economic rating of trainer Bart De Wever is fairer. But the Flemish minister and former party president, Melissa Depraetere, does not seem to believe that the requested adaptations will be made.
“We have been discussing this note for five months. The proposed method is different but the problem lies in the content,” underlined Ms. Depraetere, interviewed by VRT during the program “Villa Politica”.
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A difficult balance to find
The Flemish socialists have been repeating for months that they want a more equitable distribution of the budgetary consolidation effort, and are targeting in particular the contribution of large assets. Last week, they left the negotiating table and, on Tuesday, the King extended Mr. De Wever’s mission. The objective remains to form an “Arizona” majority, bringing together the N-VA, the MR, the Engagés, the CD&V and Vooruit.
The four remaining parties are calling on Vooruit to resume discussions. The trainer insisted Tuesday evening that the only way to assert his point of view was through negotiation. Is he ready to review his grade? Mrs Depraetere doubts it. She points the finger at the MR, another right-wing formation alongside the N-VA. “Georges-Louis Bouchez says that it has been the same score for five months and that the score will not change,” she stressed.
“A step in our direction”
Flemish socialists are aware that difficult measures will have to be taken to restore public finances and that the population did not vote for left-wing policies. “We have already taken steps towards other parties. We are now asking that on one point they take a step in our direction, and that is that all the efforts do not rest on the shoulders of the same people,” explained the minister.
150 days ago, Belgians went to the polls. Today, the formation of the federal government is at an impasse. In Ms. Depraetere’s eyes, the other parties are acting “irresponsibly” by letting things go this way. The other parties, however, do not fail to point the finger at Vooruit’s attitude. The Engagés and the CD&V, who also have serious objections to the trainer’s socio-economic rating, have been harsh in recent days towards the socialists. “I didn’t see that they managed to change the content of the note. Georges-Louis Bouchez continually repeats that this note is the note and that it is balanced. Changing just a few commas to make it less painful, that’s not what we’re going to do.”
