Jan Jambon and Theo Francken: “Ignoring the very Flemish vote of Sunday demonstrates a detachment from reality”

“I think that Mr Di Rupo doesn’t fully understand what happened in Flanders on Sunday.” The proposal of Elio Di Rupo to form a federal government with a minority on the Flemish side is meeting with incredulity in the N-VA. The reaction of Jan Jambon and Theo Francken, among others, is one of rejection.

Without a Flemish majority

“What will not happen is that there will be a government without a majority on the Flemish side. If this is already being ignored after just 24 hours... in what kind of a country are we actually living? That is just not possible: we pay the bills in this country. The PS bill is always picked up by someone else. Who’s going to pay a bill of 8 billion? The Flemings,” said Theo Francken clearly on Radio 1.

Flemish vote

Jan Jambon backs up the former Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration. “On Sunday, a very Flemish vote was expressed. And then, to put the northern part of the country that finances the southern part in the minority to make a federal government. That is so far removed from political reality that it demonstrates some detachment from reality,” Jan Jambon reacted on VTM.

Different solution

The N-VA has its response ready if Di Rupo pursues his intention to govern at federal level without a Flemish majority. “We have put a different solution on the table. When you look at the political map of this country, I think it is time that we do a few things by ourselves,” said Jan Jambon.

Confederalism If we want to make structural changes, then we have to change the structures. Confederalism is the structural change that this country needs. The basic principle of confederalism is that Flanders and Wallonia are the owners of all powers. They exercise these themselves, but can also make decisions together and manage certain powers together at the confederal level, in both of their interests. This completely reverses the logic. Instead of transferring federal powers to Flanders and Wallonia, these powers can be transferred to the confederal level. Forced cooperation is replaced by voluntary cooperation. Must becomes will. Dismantling from above becomes building up from below. Confederalism is therefore deciding together on what we want to do together. Confederalism

The same is heard from Theo Francken: “Then there will be confederalism. This does not in any way mean the break-up of Belgium. The country would continue to exist as Belgium, including the royal house and the flag, Defence and the Red Devils. However, the rest we would handle ourselves, such as taxation and Social security Social security is currently managed at the Federal level in Belgium. The most important pillars of Belgian social security are: sickness and invalidity insurance (NIDHI), pensions, unemployment insurance and child allowances. In addition, occupational illness, occupational accidents and annual holidays are dealt with at this level. Some Flemish parties have been campaigning for years for (large parts of) social security to be transferred to the Regions and Communities. social security .”