Following the European Commission report: De Croo makes a 180° turn and has to agree with De Bleeker

Five days after coldly dismissing Eva De Bleeker, Prime Minister De Croo must now agree with her after all. This is clear from his response to the European Commission’s budget report. De Bleeker pointed out that the tax reform of the energy bill next year would cost money. That is confirmed by De Croo today after all. “We call on the new Secretary of State for Budget Bertrand to come to parliament with honest figures,” MPs Peter De Roover and Sander Loones respond. “The extra expenses must be put back in the tables, as Eva De Bleeker correctly did in her first tables.”

Prime Minister De Croo objected last week because De Bleeker included the budgetary impact of the VAT reduction in her budget tables. She was forced to remove them and submit new texts to parliament. Remarkably, Alexander De Croo confirmed in his response to the Flemish broadcaster VRT today that next year’s energy bill tax reform will indeed not be budget neutral. “A 180-degree turn compared to his answer last Thursday in the plenary session of the Chamber,” notes De Roover. “The Prime Minister seems to be bogged down in his own untruths.”

All alarm signals are red

Loones adds: “The European Commission further confirms our analysis. The De Croo government is throwing money out of the window. Spending is rising too quickly, and the necessary reforms to finance it are not forthcoming. This is also causing the national debt to continue to explode. All alarm signals are red.”

Fiddling with the figures

What will it take to turn the tide? Anyone who can work should work. Especially in Brussels and Wallonia, where there are simply too few people working. But serious reforms to take steps forward are not forthcoming. “It is completely unfortunate that Prime Minister De Croo himself weakened his government’s reform ambitions,” says a disappointed Loones. “He fiddles with the figures and pretends that the deficit is smaller. This signals to the PS party that fewer adjustments need to be made. What else can we expect if the Prime Minister himself says that it can be less ambitious?”

De Croo government story of stagnation

Peter De Roover adds: “The European Commission’s report confirms our criticism: this government is failing to implement the necessary reforms concerning pensions and labour market reforms. The De Croo government continues to be a story of stagnation.”