In a press statement released on Friday, the Flemish socialist party Vooruit announced that it is to rejoin the negotiations on the formation of a new federal coalition government. “The socialist are necessary. People are relying on us to fight for their purchasing power and their health. In difficult times only the socialists will be able to ensure that the burden is spread fairly”, the statement reads.
Vooruit says that it is prepared “To make difficult decisions, but only if the burden is spread fairly and individuals and companies with a lot of wealth do their bit”. The party adds that the latest draft of Formateur Bart De Wever’s memorandum “leaves the door ajar”.
"The other parties around the table have said that they are prepared to talk so we are prepared to start negotiations based on the new memorandum”.
However, Vooruit’s leader Conner Rousseau warns that “People are relying on us and we will do our best, but there are no guarantees. If once we are at the negotiating table it transpires that the door has been put ajar now only for it to be closed again later it will be over and out for us”.
Conner Rousseau: "We felt like we had to come back from 0-5 down”
Speaking on VRT television’s lunchtime news programme, Mr Rousseau said “A lot of ordinary people are counting on us. We have always felt like we had to come back from being 0-5 down. Yesterday, openings were finally made. We now want to turn these openings into reality. We want to get the country on track, but also to make sure that those with big fortunes at last contribute to doing this. The burden must be spread fairly”.
Mr Rousseau concedes that his party’s “yes” is a “yes, but”. "No one around the table can guarantee that the negotiations will succeed. But we can guarentee with certainty that we will negotiate on behalf of the many ordinary people that are relying on us to make our country more socially just and healthy”.