Elections 2024: De Croo willing to accept De Wever as next prime minister

Prime minister Alexander De Croo would accept N-VA leader Bart De Wever as prime minister of the next government "if it is about strengthening the country and not cutting it in two", he said during a debate on the VRT talk show Terzake on Tuesday.

De Croo repeated his call for a centre-right coalition after the 9 June elections: "Together we can make the reforms that people are waiting for." De Wever replied that he would accept a centre-right government "to implement the reforms that the Open VLD has failed to implement in recent years".

But the N-VA leader immediately demanded to know whether the prime minister would come from the largest party. "That is logical," De Croo said. "But not to lose ourselves in state reforms that will lead to years of stagnation. If it is to make our country stronger, yes. If it is to bring our country to a standstill, no."

Centre-right coalition

De Croo sees a centre-right government as the solution to Belgium's budgetary problems. The country is struggling with a rising budget deficit that could lead to European sanctions if it is not reined in.

But forming a government to tackle that issue will be complicated. According to the latest polls, the extreme parties Vlaams Belang and PVDA will win a combined total of over one third of all votes.

Forming a centre-right government will not be easy either. N-VA wants a stronger Flanders, the opposite of the pro-Belgian De Croo. De Wever reiterated this during the debate: "You say state reforms would block the country. This country is already blocked. Your government was the blockage."

^{#FlandersNewsService | De Wever and De Croo during a debate in 2020 © BELGA PHOTO JAMES ARTHUR GEKIERE}