‘Preformateur’ Bart De Wever hopes to bring his Flemish nationalist N-VA, Flemish socialist Vooruit, the Christian democrats of CD&V and Les Engagés and the Francophone liberals of MR together around the same table for the first time tomorrow. Last weekend, he held one-on-one talks, but now he hopes the time is now ripe for a joint meeting.
One day later, on Wednesday, Mr De Wever will have to report back to King Filip. In an ideal scenario, the Flemish nationalist leader would then be appointed ‘formateur’ with the job of forming the next federal government. Political analyst Rik Van Cauwelaert of daily De Tijd thinks there is a chance that this will happen:
"Whether he will later also become prime minister, that is another matter. It does become very difficult to explain that the sacrifices that have to be made in Wallonia are imposed by a Flemish-nationalist prime minister. But I don't see anyone other than Mr De Wever being able to take the lead in that. It is almost inevitable. But whether it is wise, I don't know."
According to Van Cauwelaert, Mr De Wever will have to get help "from someone he has underestimated so far": Francophone liberal leader Georges-Louis Bouchez. "He will have to rely on him to get the federal government's message accepted in Wallonia."