Government formation talks restart after holiday week
After a week of holidays, the negotiations for new federal, Flemish and Brussels governments are restarting. The formations of both the federal and Flemish governments are going in a clear direction, but important disagreements still need to be solved, especially on the federal level.
Flemish formateur Matthias Diependaele of N-VA is working on a coalition of N-VA, Vooruit and CD&V. His party leader, Bart De Wever, is trying to bring together the same three parties federally, plus MR and Les Engagés on the French-speaking side. In the weeks before the holidays, both presented numerous negotiation texts, but the real negotiations have yet to begin.
In the coming weeks, N-VA will have to make important compromises. Many of the other parties have indicated that the negotiating texts too often resembled the wish list of the Flemish nationalists, De Morgen reports. There was particular criticism of De Wever's proposals concerning the labour market, pensions and taxes.
Because Europe requires Belgium to reduce its budget deficit, the federal government needs to find a lot of money, either by saving or taxing. N-VA wants to save money by skipping indexations five times for people on benefits, but this is unacceptable for CD&V, Les Engagés and Vooruit. They want to find a way to tax the wealthy more fairly.
In Flanders, money is less of an obstacle, although Diependaele wants to stick to the balanced budget – by 2027 – he has been working on as Finance minister in recent years. Among the stumbling blocks are nitrogen policy and childcare.
The socialists of Vooruit want as many children as possible to go to daycare, with six months of free childcare. The Christian democrats of CD&V want to create 10,000 extra childcare places with the cost determined by the parents' income. These are expensive plans, which is why N-VA wants to make childcare more affordable for people who work.
De Wever hopes that negotiations will be be complete before 20 September, the day when the EU expects Belgium's budget plans. The unofficial Flemish deadline is the September declaration, on the fourth Monday of September, when the minister-president traditionally addresses parliament on the policy plans for the new working year.
Brussels lagging behind
Formation in Brussels is currently lagging behind. On the French-speaking side, formal negotiations can begin between MR, PS and Les Engagés, but the process is still stalled on the Dutch-speaking side.
Elke Van den Brandt of Groen is trying to form a majority with Open VLD, Vooruit and CD&V, but there are only three minister positions to divide between four parties. A formula with Team Fouad Ahidar is currently not an option because Open VLD and Vooruit oppose this.
Forming a Brussels government is a complex affair: the Dutch-speaking and French-speaking parties first agree with whom they want to govern within their language group. Together, those two majorities then form the Brussels government.
#FlandersNewsService | N-VA leader Bart De Wever arrives for a meeting between N-VA, Vooruit, CD&V, MR and Les Engages, to discuss a possible coalition for the federal government, 1 July 2024 © BELGA PHOTO JONAS ROOSENS
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