De Wever promises government will 'roll up its sleeves' in first address as PM
In his New Year address to Belgium’s highest authorities, prime minister Bart De Wever outlined the challenges facing the country and the response his government intends to provide.
“For the first time in 16 years, there is a government that enjoys democratic support on both sides of the language border,” De Wever said in his first speech in his new role, given at the Royal Palace in Brussels on Tuesday.
“This is a healthy democratic support that should ultimately be the norm,” he said. “That strong democratic mandate must now translate into answers to the great challenges of our time.”
"The signal last June towards the governing class was clear: deal with these challenges"
He went on to describe the numerous issues facing Belgium, such as the budget deficit, the low labour market participation rate, the ageing population putting pressure on the healthcare and pension systems, migration and geopolitics.
“In both the north and south of the country, the signal last June [in the federal elections] towards the governing class was clear: deal with these challenges,” he said. “The coalition agreement that I will soon explain in parliament hopes to respond to that signal.”
De Wever said the new government would pursue a tough policy of economic recovery, “but we are not losing sight of anyone”.
He concluded by saying: “One cannot escape tomorrow’s responsibilities by avoiding them today … This country will not bury its head in the sand but will roll up its sleeves to guarantee the prosperity and future of our fellow citizens.”
The audience included members of the royal family, religious representatives, ministers, foreign ambassadors and members of the judiciary.
"Our beautiful capital – which is also that of Europe – is a crossroads, not a dead end"
In his own speech, King Philippe voiced his pleasure that there was a new federal government, eight months after voters went to the polls. In times of polarised opinion, he stressed the importance of compromise and dialogue. However, he expressed his regret that there was still no agreement in Brussels.
The formation of a new regional government has been at a stalemate for a long time, with the French-speaking socialists of PS refusing to negotiate with Flemish conservative party N-VA.
“Our beautiful capital – which is also that of Europe – is a crossroads, not a dead end,” he said. He called on the region’s politicians to “find ways of convergence” to prevent it becoming “a symbol of deadlock”.
Prime minister Bart De Wever and King Philippe address the audience at the Royal Palace in Brussels, 4 February 2025 © BELGA PHOTO ERIC LALMAND / ©BELGA VIDEO MAARTEN WEYNANTS
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