Bart De Wever speaks at the palace: “Our vulnerability is being exploited”

Speaking at the New Year’s reception at the palace, Prime Minister Bart De Wever addressed the assembled dignitaries. According to De Wever, we are living in an era in which security and stability can no longer be taken for granted. “The bitter lesson of recent weeks is that stability will not simply return on its own,” he said. “We must prepare for a prolonged period of geopolitical and economic turmoil.”

A Europe under pressure

De Wever expressed his unwavering support for the Ukrainian people in their struggle against the despotic regime in Moscow. He praised the determination of President Volodymyr Zelensky, while also drawing a sobering conclusion about Europe’s own capacity to act: “Europe is not capable of effectively defending its own sovereignty.” Although work is now underway to build a fully fledged European defence industry, he stressed that this will take years, leaving Europe exposed in the meantime.

According to the Prime Minister, this vulnerability is now being tested even by historic allies. He referred to pressure on Greenland’s autonomy, which he described as a lack of respect for the right to self-determination of a European ally. He reminded his audience of ancient Greek history, when the Spartans and Athenians refused to give the Persians “earth and water” — symbols of total submission. “Today, we are being asked for ‘earth and ice’. But we will never tolerate pressure on the integrity and the right to self-determination of a European ally, even when that pressure comes from another ally,” De Wever said.

A return to the nineteenth century

De Wever warned that the line between freedom and oppression is becoming increasingly blurred. “At times, it feels as though we have been jolted back from the twenty-first century into the nineteenth,” he observed. “But we remain faithful to our values — values for which Europe paid a heavy price in blood.”

“Two ruthless wars in the twentieth century taught us what freedom truly means. Today, we are being painfully reminded that freedom is never guaranteed, that it must always be defended,” De Wever said, calling for vigilance, resilience and dignity.

The steep climb of reform

On the domestic front, De Wever likened government policy to a steep mountain climb. He said the government had taken responsibility by pushing through necessary socio-economic reforms, including limiting unemployment benefits over time, safeguarding the affordability and security of pensions, and strengthening the labour market.

He was blunt about the hard choices involved: “You can’t have your cake and eat it too.” As a result of these decisions, public debt is set to be reduced by more than €30 billion over the course of the legislature. The ultimate goal is to meet European spending rules and the Maastricht criteria.

The road to the green valley

Despite the scale of the effort required, De Wever struck an optimistic note about the future. He spoke of his ambition for a country that no longer ranks among Europe’s laggards when it comes to public debt and tax pressure. “Imagine what this country could look like with a budget surplus, falling taxes and a strong pace of investment. That is the green valley beyond the mountain peak.”

He closed his speech with a quote attributed to Hannibal, spoken at the foot of the Alps: “Aut viam inveniam aut faciam” — I will find a way, or I will make one. De Wever ended with a call for unity and discipline, urging the country and Europe alike to find and follow a path that leads to prosperity and growth, a fairer society and a strong future.