Vlaams Belang wants to preserve Brussels with Flemish independence: “Rights of French speakers are fully respected” | Interior

The momentum for independence will come next year, says Vlaams Belang. In the first place because the party will probably become the largest at Flemish level and can therefore take the initiative to form a government. “In addition, there is the possibility that the formation of a federal government will become impossible,” says leader and MEP Gerolf Annemans on Sunday.

While N-VA wants to divide Belgium from the federal level, Vlaams Belang wants to start from the Flemish Parliament. A declaration of sovereignty would be voted there, after which a negotiation period could follow with Wallonia. Party chairman Tom Van Grieken said this on Saturday in ‘Het Laatste Nieuws’.

“I have been criticized by that party for years because I say that we have to negotiate with the PS,” N-VA chairman Bart De Wever responded to VTM NEWS on Sunday. “I really get scolded for that, also by their supporters. And now they’re basically saying the same thing. I don’t find it convincing.”

Brussels will then also become part of Flanders. That is the only possible solution, the party argues, because the city is completely surrounded by Flemish territory.

“We offer the people of Brussels a bilingual city in which the rights of the French speakers are fully respected,” says party chairman Tom Van Grieken. That has a chance of success, he thinks, because the people of Brussels will realize that as part of Flanders they have a more financially prosperous future. “Moreover, the love of the people of Brussels for Wallonia is not so great now,” says the chairman.

Lode Vereeck, economic adviser to the party, was once again allowed to explain the transfers between Flanders and Wallonia at the congress. “The transfer amounts to 15 percent of the Flemish budget,” says Vereeck. “If we have that money, it would be 8,000 euros extra every year for an average family. You could have that available year after year, pay your bills with it, go on holiday with it. But you are currently sacrificing that money for mismanagement in Wallonia.”

According to Vereeck, French-speaking Belgium would also benefit from a split. “I want to say to the Walloons: don’t be afraid. We have had the closure of the mines, the closure of Ford Genk. It takes a while, but it will be over before you know it and in the end there will be a rich and prosperous Wallonia.”

Crucial in the party’s plans is that it can form a majority with N-VA at the Flemish level. “Otherwise it is impossible”, can be heard from the members of parliament present. “If N-VA chairman Bart De Wever can easily form a majority without us, he will probably do so quickly. But if we have a majority together, the internal pressure at N-VA will become great. Then De Wever will have to choose between governing with us or seeing his party fall apart.”

Earlier in the day, De Wever repeated at VTM NEWS that there are conditions for a possible collaboration between N-VA and Vlaams Belang.