Belgium (The Brussels Morning newspaper): N-VA and Vooruit discussed the headscarf ban, compulsory voting, and reforms like language education penalties, aiming to improve Flanders while addressing rising political tensions.
Talks began at 1:00 PM on Friday and were discussed until 5:00 AM on Saturday, focusing on solving significant matters like the headscarf ban for teachers and bringing back compulsory voting in local elections. N-VA wanted to stop Flemish civil workers from wearing political stuff like headscarves, but Vooruit said no. N-VA also said let’s cut parliament seats from 124 to 100, but CD&V said no, it helps Vlaams Belang too much.
What Key Reforms Are N-VA and Vooruit Proposing?
N-VA and Vooruit, who don’t agree on everything, found some things they both like. For example, Vooruit’s boss Conner Rousseau was okay with punishing parents who didn’t want to learn Dutch. If they skip the language class, they lose their school bonus. It wants Flanders to be a nice place to live and do business but knows we have problems like old folks, climate change, needing cheap homes, and the world situation.
They also agreed to improve Flanders’ offices and work on making the government work faster. They will check all the middle parts and see if they can join with cities, towns, or the Flemish government. The politicians talked about many things, like punishing parents who don’t learn Dutch and making Flanders a suitable place to live and work. They also want to improve how the government works and deals with nitrogen emissions.
