Talks on the formation of a new Flemish government continue. While the negotiators from the Flemish nationalist, socialist ad Christian democrat parties have already reached agreement on the budget and a host of other issues. There is still discord between the parties about proposals to reduce the number of members of the Flemish Parliament from 124 to 100.
Flemish coalition talks: discord among the parties about reducing the number of members of the Flemish Parliament
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The Flemish nationalists and the socialists are in favour, while the Christian democrats are against reducing the number of Flemish MPs.
The idea of reducing the number of members of the Flemish Parliament first surfaced in 2019 in a policy document drafted by the leader of the Flemish nationalist party N-VA Bart De Wever.
During the 2019 – 2014 legislature the Flemish socialist party Vooruit tabled a motion from the opposition benches in the Flemish parliament calling for a reduction in the number of MPs that sit there.
Efficiency?
Both N-VA and Vooruit say that reducing the number of MPs in the Flemish Parliament will serve as an example of efficiency in governance and that relatively speaking Flanders has too many MPs per head of population.
However, the Christian democrats say that the proposal is ill-conceived as it would make it more difficult for smaller parties to win seats in the regional parliament. CD&V also questions whether reducing the number of MPs in the Flemish Parliament would lead to greater efficiency and a modernisation of the way in which the parliament functions.