Vandenbroucke responds for the first time to “verbal and physical incident” with Van Quickenborne: “I have already said sorry” | Interior

According to various government sources, Wednesday evening during the core cabinet there was a heated discussion between Minister of Health Frank Vandenbroucke and Minister of Justice Vincent Van Quickenborne about a dossier on supplements for doctors’ fees.

Versions differ as to what exactly happened. One speaks of “verbal and physical aggression” on the part of Vandenbroucke, who would have grabbed Van Quickenborne’s arms and pushed him against the wall, after which the socialist would have scolded him. Another calls that version exaggerated. That source puts it at “grabbing an arm” and states that it was not a scuffle, but was ‘not done’.

Vandenbroucke’s spokesperson confirms that there was a discussion within the core about the fee supplements. At a certain moment Van Quickenborne stood up while Vandenbroucke was still working on his speech. Vandenbroucke then stood up himself and took his liberal colleague by the arm, it is said. In the meantime, the Flemish socialist has already apologized to Van Quickenborne.

Vandenbroucke has now also responded to the incident for the first time in front of the VTM NEWS cameras. He confirms the incident and reiterates that he has apologised, but denies that he “made a mistake”. According to him, it is “complete nonsense” for sources to claim that more happened “than putting a hand on his arm”. “I have absolutely not crossed a line,” he concludes.

Minister of Quickenborne confirms to Belga that “there has been an incident”, without wanting to go into further detail. “I don’t take that lightly. We are discussing this with each other”, it sounds. At the same time, the liberal believes it is “in everyone’s interest that we move beyond this incident and keep a cool head”. “We are facing weeks of important decisions. Cut taxes on working people, extend nuclear power plants and reform pensions.”

Prime Minister Alexander De Croo calls the incident between Van Quickenborne and Vandenbroucke “inadmissible” and says “deeply regret what happened on Wednesday evening”. Yesterday and today he had conversations with both Van Quickenborne and Vandenbroucke, individually and together, he says.

In his response, De Croo emphasizes “the importance of a respectful and professional way of dealing with each other, also during substantive discussions where it is legitimate that different substantive positions are taken”. “What happened on Wednesday evening is not permissible and is not in line with a professional way of dealing with each other,” he says.

At the same time, the two ministers are in talks with each other and have indicated that they “want to transcend the incident and keep a cool head”, the prime minister adds. Vandenbroucke’s spokesman already emphasized that the socialist has apologized to Van Quickenborne.

Opposition party N-VA looks at the incident with wide eyes. “The Michel government has already been called the bickering cabinet. What is this then? A wrestling cabinet?”, former N-VA minister Johan Van Overtveldt responds on Twitter. “What. A. mess. And we are not even talking about the content, and the total deterioration.”