De Croo lets himself get rolled at the European negotiating table once again

The Vivaldi coalition government is once again letting itself be tricked by Europe, it turns out. In the distribution of the RePowerEU plan, which aims to reduce dependence on Russian energy and accelerate the green transition, it appears that Belgium is getting far less money than it is entitled to. “After first badly negotiating the support from the European coronavirus recovery fund, Vivaldi once again succeeds in obtaining insufficient European aid funds for Belgium,” complains MP Loones. “It is a constant that this government puts European interests ahead of national needs.”

The initial distribution key of the fund was based on the parameters used for the distribution of the European coronavirus recovery fund. However, the reuse of those parameters is a misjudgement of our needs, Loones complains: “If a more equitable distribution key were used that does take into account energy dependence and population figures, then Belgium could count on EUR 506 million, according to the committee’s simulations. In the end, we are only getting EUR 282 million.”

Shameful

The federal government has therefore only dragged out another EUR 13 million. In comparison, After negotiations, the Netherlands will receive EUR 175 million more than first anticipated. Poland will even receive EUR 2.7 billion, about EUR 1.7 billion more than planned. “Saying you are fighting to get an extra EUR 237 million, but coming out with only EUR 13 million more … that is just shameful,” Loones complains. “EUR 282 million instead of the hoped-for EUR 506 million; Vivaldi has negotiated badly at the European table once again.”

“Why doesn’t Prime Minister De Croo stand up more forcefully for our own needs? Why does he keep concluding European agreements in which Belgium is deprived of funds? And all this while Belgium is already piling up gigantic budget deficits and debts,” Sander Loones wonders.