Coalition agreement of Flemish government promises 'warm and prosperous Flanders'
"Working together for a warm and prosperous Flanders" is the title of the new coalition agreement signed by the N-VA, Vooruit and CD&V on Saturday morning. These are some of the most important changes in the 203-page document.
In education, parents who do not make an effort to learn Dutch will lose the school bonus for all their school-age children. Minimum targets for Dutch will be introduced for pre-school children, and the use of smartphones will be banned in primary schools. In secondary schools, the budget for vocational and technical education will be increased.
The government also wants to improve the pay and working conditions of domestic help staff by increasing the price of service vouchers. However, the agreement does not specify how the price and tax deductibility of these vouchers would be affected.
Nature and mental health
The agreement also covers mental health. Additional care will be provided for mental health and addiction problems related not only to drugs, tobacco and alcohol but also to vaping, smartphones, medication and gambling.
The government says it will continue its commitment to restoring nature, because "this strengthens our resilience to climate change and extreme weather events". For example, it intends to create an additional 10,000 hectares of woodland by 2030, and the Blue Deal 2.0 aims to reduce the negative impacts of droughts and the risk of flooding.
Finally, some high-profile issues did not make it into the coalition agreement. These include the abolition of provincial councils and a reduction in the number of members of the Flemish parliament. A more far-reaching ban on headscarves, high on the N-VA's wishlist, also failed to make the cut.
#FlandersNewsService | © BELGA PHOTO LAURIE DIEFFEMBACQ
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