Flemish minister president calls for more pride in local innovation and economic performance
“I hope that we in Flanders will have more self-confidence in 2026. There are many things we can be proud of, such as our innovation policy,” Flemish minister president Matthias Diependaele said on Sunday on VTM Nieuws. He also responded to critical questions from citizens, for example about the rising cost of healthcare premiums and housing.
According to Diependaele, Flemish people can be prouder this year of the things that are going well in the region, such as “our innovation policy and our universities”. “This is why our economy is one of the best in Europe,” he said.
The minister president defended the policies of his Flemish government. “We are tackling structural problems, such as excessive regulation and misguided subsidy policy,” he said. “In addition, we are taking long-term strategic decisions, such as improving the quality of our education.”
Diependaele also answered questions from citizens on VTM Nieuws, which mainly focused on the rising cost of living. Among other things, he addressed the increase in healthcare premiums from 64 to 100 euros per year. Healthcare premiums are funds that the government, through the mutual health insurance funds, uses to provide financial support to people with special healthcare needs.
According to the minister president, this increase is necessary because “we have been struggling with the costs of an ageing population for decades”. “If we want to continue to provide the same quality of care to the more and more elderly people who need care, we have to find the income to do so,” he declared.
On the subject of the rising cost of housing, he pointed out that “it's a question of supply and demand”. “On the demand side, there are two reasons why more housing is needed: migration and more smaller families, for example single-person households,” he said. "I am pleased that the federal government is going to apply a stricter migration policy to ease the pressure on the housing market. As the Flemish government, we are working to increase supply. By streamlining the licensing policy, we hope to be able to build new homes more quickly."
Finally, the minister president also responded to criticism from Flemish minister Hilde Crevits that he was not promoting the government's achievements enough. “If you are in the media a lot, it is usually because there are differences of opinion. I prefer to pursue sound policies. That is what the Flemish people need.”
#FlandersNewsService | Flemish minister president Matthias Diependaele © BELGA PHOTO JAMES ARTHUR GEKIERE