Formateur Bart De Wever (Flemish nationalist N-VA) reports to King Filip this morning on his attempts to forge agreement on the formation of a new Belgian federal government between the Flemish nationalists, Christian democrats and socialists and the Francophone liberals and centrists of Les Engagés.
Yesterday, Mr De Wever saw Flemish socialist leader Conner Rousseau (Vooruit), who, last week, rejected the formateur’s 'super memorandum' or proposed policy document as a basis for further talks. Mr Rousseau is sticking to his position: the ‘super rich’ must contribute more than what is now in the formateur's plans. He, as the leader of the only left-leaning party around the table, sees no basis for further negotiations in the current version of the super memorandum. In an interview with daily Het Nieuwsblad at the weekend, Mr Rousseau let it be known that he ‘considers it unlikely that this formation attempt will succeed’.
There is frustration among the other parties about the socialists' stubborn attitude. ‘Vooruit always passing the ball back to the formateur without itself moving, that's not going to work,’ Les Engagés' leader Maxime Prévot told the French-language channel RTL last night.
Just before Mr De Wever sees the king, the parties around the table, the so-called Arizona parties, will meet one last time. At 10 am, the leaders of N-VA, Flemish Christian democrat CD&V, Vooruit, Francophone centrist Les Engagés and Francophone liberal MR will all be present.
The chances of finding agreement on continuing the negotiations at this final meeting are described as ‘slim’.
What next?
If Mr De Wever resigns as formateur, it will be up to King Filip to officially decide how to proceed with the federal formation drive.
‘We are in an impasse,’ says VRT political journalist Bart Verhulst. ‘We can trash the present coalition format. The five parties have been unable to find a way out. Mr De Wever may now offer his resignation as formateur for the second time.’
The failure to reach an agreement is a collective responsibility: ‘At the moment, it is Mr Rousseau (socialist Vooruit), who is the only one of the 5 leaders saying “no”, but the others are actually also saying “no” to what he is asking. It's a bit too easy to put the blame solely on Mr Rousseau. Just as it was too easy in August solely to blame Francophone liberal leader Bouchez.’
What happens if Mr De Wever resigns? ‘If the formation drive remains with these five parties and the possibility of other coalitions is not explored, then a centrist might take the lead, since the problem is that no agreement is possible between left and right. It could be Maxime Prévot of Les Engagés or Sammy Mahdi of Flemish Christian democrat CD&V. Or maybe they can work together’ concludes colleague Verhulst.