Belgian MEP Johan Van Overtveldt has stated that Belgium’s next Federal Government must be instituted as soon as possible after the municipal elections in October.
As formator, Bart De Wever is once again heading the negotiations after a brief crisis. For the time being, however, it does not appear as if any difficult decisions will be pushed before the municipal elections; in the last weeks before the elections, it is challenging to make political compromises.
What are the key challenges for the negotiators before October?
“We will have to stay until after 13 October to be able to fully function out the federal negotiations. That means that the moment to draw up a serious budget for 2025 is limited,”
Van Overtveldt expressed. According to the negotiators’ new working process, the talks will first concentrate on “less sensitive” themes such as defence and security, while light themes from De Wever’s so-called “super note” regarding reforms in terms of taxes, pensions and the labour market will only be handled later.
How will Belgium’s political future be affected by the October elections?
The federal negotiators had better be sped up, expressed Van Overveldt.
“I am not going to venture into exact dates. If there is a will to accomplish results, then you can do a lot in a relatively short time,”
he stated.
“But of course, you also have the whole parliamentary procedure that has to be followed. So if you want to do that extremely, it is advisable to proceed fast, decisively and carefully after 13 October.”
Is delayed negotiation a threat to Belgium’s 2025 budget?
Also, anyone who is flirting with the idea that it would not hurt if the negotiations took a little longer “should take a good look in the mirror,” Van Overtveldt expressed.
“To question themselves whether it is liable to deal with the prosperity and well-being of the citizens in this way. If the reforms are to be evident from 2025, then Parliament will have to vote on them by the end of this year,”
he stated.
“If some people think that Sinterklaas (6 December) or Christmas is a good deadline, then we will be in jeopardy. And then we will not be capable of doing much in 2025.
