The Flemish liberals of Open VLD have dismissed Yvan Verougstraete's (Francophone centrist Les Engagés) proposal to start government formation negotiations in Brussels. ‘It is a proposal that (the Belgian surrealist painter René) Magritte would envy and that would make Kafka turn pale.’ With these harsh words from Flemish liberal supremo in Brussels, Frédéric De Gucht, the negotiations seem to have run aground yet again.
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Flemish liberals reject ‘Kafkaesque’ Brussels government coalition proposal
Colin Clapson
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On Monday, in his role as facilitator in the Brussels government formation process, Yvan Verougstraete launched a plan to pave the way for government negotiations with the Francophone liberals of MR, socialists of PS and centrists of Les Engagés with on the Flemish side of the power-sharing executive the Flemish greens of Groen, liberals of Open VLD, socialists of Vooruit and Christian democrats of CD&V.
Under this plan, the MR would cede a junior minister’s post to the CD&V, so that four instead of three seats in the government would go to Flemish parties. This would mean that there would be more Dutch-speaking than French-speaking politicians in the Brussels regional government. As with all Belgian governments, the premier is politically genderless when it comes to community affiliation.
Under the proposal the PS, in turn, would have to sacrifice a post to a French-speaking figure ‘with links to the economic world’.
Proposal barred N-VA from government
The N-VA would thus be left out in the cold but would gain some (modest) weight through two consolation prizes. This would involve a role for Flemish Minister for Brussels Cieltje Van Achter in the Joint Community Commission, which is responsible for community powers in Brussels. The post of vice-president of the Brussels parliament would also go to the N-VA, Verougstraete suggested.
At a news conference on Tuesday explaining his party's rejection Frédéric De Gucht, who has now also launched a bid to lead his own Flemish liberal party Open VLD, repeatedly emphasised the importance of policy substance for the liberals. They will therefore not join a Brussels government if they cannot be certain that they can ‘effectively make a difference.’ According to De Gucht, the substantive proposals he made in the context of Verougstraete's assignment remained a dead letter. These include a more efficient government, more affordable housing, work activation policy and a budget that is on track.