Bart De Wever: “Working is not sufficiently rewarded in Belgium”

In the run-up to the elections, we continue to read reports in some media stating that working people are mainly imagining problems. That is not at all the case. “The facts are clear,” states N-VA chairman Bart De Wever.

1. Nowhere in the Western world is the tax burden on labour higher than in Belgium ( OECD The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), established in 1961 as a result of the Marshall Plan, is a cooperation agreement between 34 countries in order to study and coordinate social and economic policy. The member countries try to solve their problems jointly and to mutually align their international policy. The organisation also collects statistical information to make comparative analyses. These OECD analyses are a valuable basis for the N-VA to test policy against itself or even to give shape to it. OECD ).
2. Nowhere in Europe is the difference between working and not working smaller than in Belgium ( Eurostat Eurostat provides good statistical information to the European Union. As a statistical office, it also contributes to harmonising statistics so that data can be compared. One of Eurostat’s important tasks is to also improve the statistical systems in candidate Member States and developing countries. Correct, reliable figures are essential to good policies. That is why the N-VA prefers to base itself on the Eurostat figures. Eurostat ).
3. The difference between working and not working has narrowed under the De Croo government. Living wages and unemployment benefits were increased considerably, more than the index.
4. In certain cases, people would have little or nothing left over if they were to go to work instead of sitting at home with a living wage. Especially when social benefits and the costs of working are taken into account, which the media generally don’t do.

Inactive people were rewarded most of all

“Working people are therefore quite right if they feel they are not sufficiently respected. They are not rewarded enough in this country, and in recent years, they have seen that purchasing power has been increased for inactive people above all. That is why we are including a correction for this in our programme,” says Bart De Wever.