Brussels government formation: Anders willing to negotiate without N-VA

The Flemish liberals of Anders are willing to accept MR leader Georges-Louis Bouchez's invitation to start government negotiations in Brussels under strict conditions, party leader Frédéric De Gucht announced on Monday morning. Unlike in the past, the Flemish liberals are now willing to sit down at the negotiating table without the N-VA. Brussels has been without a new government for 610 days.

On Sunday, leader Georges-Louis Bouchez ​ of the francophone liberal party MR announced his intention to sit down with seven parties: MR, PS and Les Engagés on the French-speaking side, and Groen, Anders, Vooruit and CD&V on the Dutch-speaking side. These parties have a majority in each language group. The Flemish conservative party N-VA has not been invited this time.

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On Monday morning, everyone was waiting for Anders' position, which until now had always been aligned with N-VA. The French-speaking socialist party PS has vetoed N-VA's participation in the government. However, this morning, party leader Frédéric De Gucht announced that Anders is “willing to talk, under certain conditions”.

Those conditions are “a full Dutch-speaking majority, a balanced budget in 2029, fiscal breathing space for the middle class, simplification of the institutional and administrative landscape, and a decisive approach to security, especially in and around Brussels South and Brussels North”.

PS, CD&V, Les Engagés and Vooruit already responded positively on Sunday, and the PS confirmed its participation on Monday afternoon. The Flemish Greens of Groen also agreed. "We will of course join the table with these seven parties, we proposed this formula ourselves a year ago. No texts or tables have been provided yet, so we cannot comment on the content yet," said the Brussels leader of Groen, Elke Van den Brandt.

"The PS decides who sits around the table, which is not normal”

“The PS decides who sits around the table, which is not normal,” responded Brussels N-VA leader Cieltje Van Achter. Van Achter emphasises that a new government is needed that will implement reforms and put the budget in order. “We want to get back on track, carry out reforms concerning security, cleanliness and employment, and get the budget in order. The PS has blocked this for 600 days,” said Van Achter.

^{#FlandersNewsService | MR leader Georges-Louis Bouchez and Anders leader Frédéric De Gucht © BELGA PHOTO NICOLAS MAETERLINCK}

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