Elections 2024: Vooruit does not rule out joining coalition without PS
The leader of Flemish socialists Vooruit, Melissa Depraetere, does not rule out her party entering the next federal government without French-speaking counterparts PS, she said on Play4 on Monday evening.
The two socialist parties are currently in the federal government and are often seen as indivisible, but that may not necessarily be the case after the 9 June elections. Depraetere said that PS and Vooruit do not always see eye to eye, but that she would prefer them to work together.
"It is always easier with two social parties than alone," she said. In the last legislature, for example, Vooruit was able to raise minimum wages and pensions and reduce VAT on energy by working with PS, she said.
Common tactic
Forming a bloc with another party is a common tactic during election campaigns. Groen co-chair Nadia Naji, for example, recently said her party would only join a government with Vooruit, hoping to win over voters on the left.
On the other hand, ruling out forming a government with another party is also a valid strategy: N-VA leader Bart De Wever recently said they would never govern with Vlaams Belang, meaning that voting for the far-right party would be a waste.
Still, it is rare for a party to govern without its political family member from across the language border. PS and Vooruit are both socialist parties, which ensures they have similar goals, and forming a bloc gives them more bargaining power at the negotiating table.
#FlandersNewsService | © BELGA PHOTO TOM GOYVAERTS
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