BELGIUM’S POLITICAL turmoil worsened as the country’s Francophone leaders rejected outright a plan from Flemish nationalist Bart De Wever to break months of paralysis.
A 50-page constitutional reform proposal from Mr De Wever met praise on the Dutch-speaking side of the country’s linguistic divide, and universal derision on the French-speaking side.
The renewed political deadlock has intensified speculation that fresh elections may be called to find a way out of the impasse, with newspaper headlines proclaiming the country’s divisions to have reached a new level. “Deadlocked more than ever,” read the front-page banner headline of Le Soir, the French-language daily.
Belgium has been in the charge of a caretaker government since elections 128 days ago, a poll which followed the collapse of the outgoing coalition in April. Mr De Wever, who favours the gradual dissolution of the Belgian state, emerged as power broker after the June elections when his New Flemish Alliance party took the spoils in Flanders, the Dutch-speaking region of the country.
He has been unable since then to find common ground with French-speaking socialist leader Elio di Rupo, whose party prevailed in the region of Wallonia. Mr di Rupo is implacably opposed to Mr De Wever’s separatist agenda, and his leftist economic policy is at odds with that of the Flemish leader.
The talks are greatly complicated by the fact that both Mr De Wever and Mr di Rupo need the support of other smaller parties to achieve a stable parliamentary majority.
Mr De Wever campaigned to cede more powers to Belgium’s regions from the Belgian federal state, something resisted in Wallonia because increased devolution is seen as a step towards a break-up of the country.
After several rounds of fruitless talks, Mr De Wever had been asked by King Albert II to engage in a “mission of clarification” with his fellow leaders.
He presented his plan as a finely balanced compromise, but Mr di Rupo attacked it as a “frontal assault” against the Belgian state and against French-speakers.
In Mr De Wever’s plan, Belgium’s regions would determine their own labour market policy, have increased say over the legal system and control 45 per cent of income tax raised.
His proposal – deemed one-sided and close to provocation on the French-speaking side – would inevitably place doubts over fiscal transfers amounting to some €1 billion per month from the prosperous Flanders region to Wallonia, which is relatively poorer.