Open VLD pull out of Wednesday's talks on Brussels government formation

Liberal party Open VLD will not be returning to the negotiating table in Brussels on Wednesday after a Flemish majority of Groen, N-VA, Open VLD and Vooruit was dismissed “without clear reason and without the prospect of a better Brussels”, negotiator Frédéric De Gucht said.

Informateurs Elke Van den Brandt of Groen and Christophe De Beukelaer of Les Engagés announced on Friday that they could only see one coalition in Brussels, made up of MR, PS, Les Engagés, Groen, Open VLD, Vooruit and CD&V. 

An earlier agreement about a Flemish majority with N-VA instead of CD&V has thus been swept off the table, after socialists PS vetoed talks with N-VA, the party of prime minister Bart De Wever. 

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After an initial meeting on Monday, where Open VLD said it would insist on the presence of N-VA, the seven parties were due to talk again on Wednesday.

Monday's meeting did not result in any breakthroughs, according to De Gucht. “Open VLD emphasises that further negotiations only make sense if previous agreements are honoured, guarantees are given and the PS is not allowed to dictate,” he said.

“The ball is in the court of the parties that are prepared to blow up the painstakingly formed Dutch-speaking majority, while Open VLD has already made considerable concessions to reach a solution.”

^{#FlandersNewsService | Open VLD negotiatior Frédéric De Gucht with journalists outside a meeting to discuss forming a coalition in Brussels © PHOTO BELPRESS}

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