Alexander De Croo wants to continue as prime minister after 2024 | Inland

In interviews with various weekend newspapers, Alexander De Croo (Open Vld) formally confirms that he wants to continue as prime minister after the elections of 2024.


Yorick Dupon

23-07-22, 08:37


Latest update:
12:01


Source:
De Tijd, De Standaard, Le Soir, SudInfo, own reporting

The pension reform that was agreed by the federal government this week did not come without a fight. This has not escaped the attention of the press and political analysts. “If the new political year starts like this, Vivaldi will drive himself into the canal,” writes Carl Devos in our weekend newspaper.

This makes journalists from various newspapers question whether De Croo would rather move to international politics, as his predecessor Charles Michel (MR) did. “Being Prime Minister is a wonderful job. It’s an honor to be able to do that. And I don’t use it as a springboard. Too many people have used this post to launch themselves at the international level,” the head of government said in a statement ‘The time’.

De Croo therefore wants to be prime minister of the next government after the federal elections of 2024. He makes that explicit this weekend. “I’m tired of the bullshit around that. I only have one ambition, and that is to defend the interests of the Belgians as best as possible,” he noted ‘The standard’.

In ‘De Tijd’ journalists Dieter Dujardin and Jasper D’hoore ask De Croo whether he prefers to remain prime minister of Vivaldi-II. “Sure. If the result of the election allows it. If the result is disappointing, you’re in a different schedule,” the Liberal responds.

His spokesman Bram Delen clarifies by telephone to our editors that De Croo’s answer referred to the result of Open Vld in the next federal elections. A government with De Croo as prime minister can hardly be anything other than a reissue of Vivaldi or a variation on it. There is very little trust between him and N-VA chairman Bart De Wever.

Bee the newspapers of SudPresse De Croo says that he is not yet nervous about the results of Open Vld in the polls. In the Great Poll of HLN, VTM NIEUWS, RTL-TVI and ‘Le Soir’ at the end of June, the Flemish liberals scored their worst result ever. They landed at 9.3%, a significant drop from 13.5% in the 2019 federal election. “I am convinced that my party will pay off for the work it has done. If nothing changes in the polls a week before the elections, it is time to get worried,” said De Croo.

RECONSTRUCTION. This is how De Croo managed to close the deal with Engie “The letter with demands at the beginning of June was a dramatic moment in the negotiations” (+)

Carl Devos. As the new political year kicks off as it closes, Vivaldi will drive himself into the ditch (+)

RECONSTRUCTION. Why it took so long to reach a pension deal: “Paul Magnette sat like a devil on the shoulder of his ministers” (+)

De Croo lashes out at ‘immature’ party presidents, Bouchez responds: “There is no age on honor” (+)

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