According to ‘Knack’, which was able to get hold of several WhatsApp messages, the cabinet of Prime Minister Alexander De Croo (Open Vld) did indeed approve the budget for 2023 as it was initially presented by the now dismissed State Secretary for Budget Eva De Bleeker (Open Vld). In recent weeks, the prime minister has always denied that his cabinet gave its approval for that budget version, but according to ‘Knack’ that is not the truth.
“So it’s ok for us” and “thanks for the adjustments!”, is what can be read in a whole series of messages about the budget between the De Croo cabinet on the one hand and the De Bleeker cabinet on the other. The messages were sent on Wednesday evening 9 November.
It appears from this communication that (the cabinet of) the Prime Minister did indeed give its approval to De Bleeker’s budget submitted on 10 November, ‘Knack’ concludes. Not much later, the same budget is the reason for the dismissal of the State Secretary, because De Croo disagrees with what is stated in the text and tables.
Always denied
The prime minister has so far always denied that his cabinet had approved that budget version. Last week he also appeared to deny the existence of these WhatsApp messages before the House of Representatives Committee on the Interior, to which Kris Van Cauter, former adviser to the De Bleeker cabinet, had already referred to on LinkedIn. A question from N-VA MP Sander Loones about the communication, De Croo called a request “for proof of something that did not take place”.
LOOK. Prime Minister De Croo in the studio of ‘VTM Nieuws’ on December 4: “Not approved via WhatsApp”
At ‘VTM Nieuws’, the prime minister already insisted on December 4 that the budget had not been approved via WhatsApp. “We have said very clearly through the appropriate channels: ‘this is not correct’. Those messages that people are talking about, I think they are about an answer to another question,” he said.
N-VA demands Prime Minister immediately to parliament
Knack asked for a response from the prime minister, but has not yet received one. Our editors also contacted the cabinets involved, but have not been able to get hold of anyone for the time being.
The N-VA immediately claims the prime minister to the Finance Committee to explain the WhatsApp traffic. Party chairman Peter De Roover (N-VA) reacts very displeased: “If the prime minister speaks, we assume that he is telling the truth. It now appears that his statements about the preparation of the budget are not true. That is unacceptable in a democracy. To clarify this, we are taking the Prime Minister to the Finance Committee this afternoon.”
However, Prime Minister De Croo himself will not come down to parliament, our editors have learned. State Secretary for the Budget Alexia Bertrand (Open Vld) will be present.
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