Following the resignation of the Brussels State Secretary Pascal Smet (Flemish socialist) on Sunday all eyes are now on the Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib (Francophone liberal). The chain of events that led to Mr Smets’ resignation began with the presence of an Iranian delegation at the Brussels Urban Summit. The provision of the visas that made the Iranians’ visit to Brussels possible falls under the remit of Ms Lahbib’s department. Both the Flemish nationalist party N-VA and the far-right party Vlaams Belang are calling for the foreign Minister’s resignation. From some MPs from the federal coalition parties too there is desertification with Ms Lahbib.
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Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib in the firing line
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On Sunday afternoon the Brussels Secretary of State responsible for international trade announced his resignation. The reason that Mr met decided to quit was the controversy surrounding the visit to Brussels by the Mayor of Tehran to attend the Brussels Urban Summit.
Mr Smet came under fire last week after it was alleged that he had insisted that the Mayor and the other members of the 16-strong delegation be granted a visa. However, it was not the presence of the Iranians as such that led to Mr Smets’ resignation, but rather the revelation that the Brussels-Capital Region was to pick up the Iranians' hotel bill.
Mr Smet said that not he, but a member of his staff had decided this, but that as the person with political responsibility for what had happened, he would be resigning. He also said that he had been “pushed under a bus” by Ms Lahbib.
“A difficult position”
The political scientist Dave Sinardet told VRT News that Mr Smet’s comments put Ms Lahbib “In a difficult position."
"He stressed that he is quitting despite not personally having done anything wrong. He also says that others should ask themselves whether they should also take responsibility for what has happened. That is of course a very clear reference to Ms Lahbib. If she stays put, she will look like someone that less politically ethical than Mr Smet."
The two politicians have been pointing the finger of blame at each other since last week. "Ms Lahbib had first put Mr Smet in a difficult position by stating that he had exerted pressure (to provide a visa). By doing this she is using weakness at the mainstay of her defence, because why did she give in to pressure from a member of another government (the Brussel Regional Government) after her own department had advised against issuing the visas?”, Dave Sinardet said.
“It was Ms Lahbib that said ‘yes’”
The Flemish nationalists’ group leader in the Federal Parliament Peter De Roover told VRT News that “We shouldn’t forget that Pascal Smet didn’t issue the visas. I am not going to get involved in the discussion about whether Pascal Smet exerted a lot or a little pressure, because it was up to Ms Lahbib to says "yes" or "no". Given that her department had initially said that issuing the visas would be a bad idea and yet she then caved in so easily, we are left with the impression that she is not a strong minister."
Mr De Roover added that "First, we had to suffer the humiliation of our fellow countryman Olivier Vandecasteele being held hostage by the Iranian regime for 455 days and then the humiliation of not getting him back until we met all Iran's demands. Then two weeks later we roll out the red carpet for the mayor of Tehran. This was an opportunity to at least say we demand some respect. This makes me question whether Ms Lahbib has the strength of character to function as Foreign Minister.
"They will either have to admit that she made a a error of judgement that equates to a serious political error and like Mr Smet she will have to resign or she can stay on which will mean that what she has done is not perceived as a mistake by the De Croo government.", Mr De Roover said.
The Flemish socialists that are part of the 7-party federal coalition government are also critical of Ms Lahbib. The party says that Ms Lahbib is solely responsible for issuing visas and that no one, whoever they might be should influence her in her decisions on issuing them.