The Flemish government will continue to work behind the scenes tonight on an agreement on the budget and a compromise on the growth package. A breakthrough or agreement does not seem immediate. There was a lot of discussion in working groups and there were plenty of telephone contacts, but the ministers have not yet sat down together again. It looks like tomorrow will be a hit or miss for the Jambon administration.
On Monday, the Jambon government failed to reach an agreement on the budget and the accompanying package of energy and purchasing power measures. Prime Minister Jan Jambon had to go to the Flemish Parliament without a September declaration, a particularly painful moment for the head of government and the entire Flemish government team.
There is a new meeting with parliament on Thursday. But then the government has to find a compromise about the growth package, the former child benefit. That file was the major stumbling block last weekend and Monday morning.
“Red line”
CD&V does not only want to reverse the savings on the growth package — last year it was decided to limit the indexation to 1 percent instead of 2 percent — but also wants to link the base amount to the health index. This would mean that the child benefit, just like the benefits, increases with inflation.
However, according to N-VA and Open VLD, that scenario is too expensive. They want to intervene more through the social allowances by increasing them and broadening the target group.
Watch Sammy Madhi’s studio conversation at VTM NEWS below:
bad blood
CD&V chairman Sammy Mahdi told VTM Nieuws on Monday that he is sticking to linking the growth package to the lifespan. According to Mahdi, his party “besides a pragmatic attitude also has principles”, and “there are times in life when it is so fundamental that you have to draw a red line”.
That TV appearance by Mahdi has caused bad blood at both Open VLD and N-VA, it can be heard. It remains to be seen whether the Flemish government can pick up the pieces. Today the time was taken to let the dust settle and mainly behind the scenes they looked for ways to get out of the impasse.
Because the ministers themselves have not yet sat down again, an agreement does not appear for tonight or tonight. “The contacts behind the scenes continue,” it sounds.
What about Crevits?
That immediately means that tomorrow will be a key day. It is still unclear when exactly the ministers will sit down again to make decisions and whether CD&V deputy prime minister Hilde Crevits will join again. She became unwell last weekend and was subsequently replaced by ministers Jo Brouns and Benjamin Dalle.
Prime Minister Jan Jambon is expected to be back in parliament for his September statement at the latest on Thursday at 2 pm.
How should the Flemish negotiations proceed? (+)
RECONSTRUCTION. Does CD&V want to leave the Flemish government because it has nothing more to gain from it? This is how the 23 nerve-racking hours in the Wetstraat (+) went.
CD&V member of parliament on government crisis: “Cheven are not folded and will not fold”
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