The beleaguered Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib (Francophone liberal) was able to escape a vote on no confidence motions that had been tabled again her by the opposition parties, the Flemish Nationalist N-VA and the far-right Vlaams Belang. Instead, the coalition parties adopted a motion tabled by the Liberals that rendered the motions of no confidence tabled by the N-VA and Vlaams Belang null and void.
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Foreign Minister escapes no confidence vote
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Ms Lahbib has been in the eye of political storm for more than two weeks now following her decision to allow visas to be granted to an Iranian delegation in order to allow them to attend a conference in Brussels. The two biggest opposition parties in the Federal Parliament had both tabled no-confidence motions against Ms Lahbib and the motions were due to be voted on during Thursday’s plenary session of the Federal Parliament.
However, and despite their severe reservations about Ms Lahbib’s role and her behaviour since the affair came to light, both the Francophone socialists and the Greens voted in favour of the Liberals’ motion. As a symbolic act, one member each of both the Francophone Socialist and the Green group abstained. This was intended to show their malcontent at Ms Lahbib would causing a crisis that could have caused the Federal Government to fall.
Visa row
Hadja Lahbib has been in hot water since visas were granted to members of an Iranian delegation who came to Brussels in mid-June to take part in the Brussels Urban Summit. The Francophone Liberals are backing their minister 100% despite explanations she has given to parliament that were deemed to be unconvincing and inconsistent by many.
A vote of no confidence would have put the federal coalition in jeopardy. Although both groups voted to avert this, the Francophone Socialists and the Greens continue to call for Hadja Lahbib's resignation.
"Hypocritical", says opposition
The opposition parties said that the decision by the Francophone Socialists and the Greens to support the motion preventing a no confidence vote, but at the same time having one member of each of their groups abstain was hypocritical. Raoul Hedebouw of the far-left PTB-PVDA suggested that all members of the socialist and green groups should have abstained as the motions of no confidence only concerned the Foreign Minister.
The Flemish Nationalists’ group leader in the Federal Parliament Peter De Roover denounced what he called "a very weak attitude" on the part of the Francophone Socialists and the Greens. "I would like to congratulate Mr Bouchez (the leader of the Francophone Liberals), for doing the right thing", Mr De Roover quipped. The far-right Vlaams Belang’s Barbara Pas (Vlaams Belang), declared that "the public will remember this affair. You are leaving a minister in place, whom you fundamentally do not trust and are doing so out of fear of the electorate".