Vlaams Belang chairman Tom Van Grieken. | Dirk Waem/Belga Mag/AFP via Getty Images
For De Wever, a center-to-right coalition could mean breaking the grip of the Francophone PS over the country. In the last stretch of the campaign, he angled to become the next prime minister to lead a government focused on fixing Belgium’s finances first. Belgium’s budget deficit is projected to rise to 4.7 percent of GDP next year — way over the European Union-wide limit of 3 percent.
“We’re in incredibly bad shape and we’re going to have to implement a remediation policy,” De Wever said in a TV debate the night before the election. He added: “You cannot get this country structurally in order if you don’t also look at the institutional.”
Far right, far left fell short
Vlaams Belang had hoped to come in first, which would have given them control over government negotiations on the Flemish side.
Coming in second felt like a defeat — even if the party gained seats at the federal and regional level and even won most votes in the European Parliament vote.
Source link : https://www.politico.eu/article/bart-de-wever-alexander-de-croo-georges-louis-bouchez-tom-van-grieken-belgium-election/
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Publish date : 2024-06-10 07:00:00
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