The Flemish Government has failed to reach agreement on measures to curtail levels of nitrogen pollution from agriculture in the region. With talks between ministers having reached an impasse, the Flemish Prime Minister Jan Jambon (nationalist) has called a meeting with the leaders of the three parties that make up the Flemish coalition.
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Flemish Government in crisis over nitrogen policy
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Mr Jambon hopes that the leader of the Flemish nationalist party (N-VA) Bart De Wever, the leader of the Flemish Christian Democrats (CD&V) Sammy Mahdi and the Flemish liberal (Open VLD) leader Egbert Lachaert will be able to help resolve the dispute within his cabinet.
Also at the meeting will be the three Deputy Prime Minister in the Flemish Government, Hilde Crevits (Christian democrat), Ben Weyts (nationalist) and Bart Somers (liberal).
The aim had been to reach an agreement during Friday morning’s meeting of the Flemish Cabinet. However, the negotiations reached stalemate.
Political journalists say that the intransigence is a result of the various parties “playing politics”. VRT News’ political editors says that the current crisis within the Flemish Government is “unprecedented”. In a statement released early on Friday afternoon the Flemish Prime Minister Jan Jambon said, “We can only conclude that despite all the efforts made progress towards an agreement is at an impasse”.
Consequently, Mr Jambon has invested the leaders of the three Flemish coalition parties to meet with him and their respective parties’ three Deputy Prime Ministers. The meeting will start later on Friday afternoon.
Mr Jambon was due to go on holiday this weekend but has put back his vacation plans.