Elections 2024: Prime minister De Croo calls on De Wever to form centre-right coalition

Prime minister Alexander De Croo is calling on Bart De Wever, leader of the Flemish nationalist party N-VA, to join forces with his liberals Open VLD and form a centre-right federal government together after the elections. N-VA would then have to back away from possible state reform. 

On Sunday, TV channel VTM held a debate between De Croo and De Wever, ahead of the 9 June elections. De Croo invited De Wever to join forces to create a centre-right coalition. In French-speaking Belgium, De Croo is looking to work with Les Engagés and sister party MR. N-VA would be the desired partner in Flanders, but to do so, the party would have to stop negotiations with Walloon socialists PS on community reforms. De Wever has long argued for confederalism.

De Wever took the opportunity to criticise the federal government's policies of the past four years, while De Croo took aim at Flemish ministers Ben Weyts and Zuhal Demir, both of N-VA. Earlier this week, there was another confrontation between the two politicians on the political TV programme Het Conclaaf.

The prime minister criticised the Flemish government, specifically the record of Demir and Weyts, responsible for environment and education, two areas facing major problems. De Wever took aim mainly at what he saw as the failing federal government. He also stressed that he does not want to form a Flemish government with parties that make a federal government without a Flemish majority.

^{Prime minister Alexander De Croo © BELGA PHOTO ERIC LALMAND}