MP Theo Francken is re-elected as the delegation head for the NATO Parliament

The Chamber of Representatives reconfirmed MEP Theo Francken as head of the Belgian delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. This “NATO Parliament”, composed of parliamentarians from NATO Member States, was established in 1955. It consults on and within NATO, engages in parliamentary diplomacy and issues annual reports outlining its views on security matters.

A flattered Theo Francken responds: “It is a great honour for me to be reappointed to this position. At the same time, I am concerned that our NATO partners increasingly view this country as a free-rider. The years of disinvestment in defence not only jeopardise the security of our citizens, but will also cost jobs through the loss of NATO institutions.”

Community of democracies

The NATO Parliament proves that NATO is much more than merely a military alliance. Theo Francken: “It is a community of democracies that look after each other’s security deliberately and in solidarity, and which can make a stand against external threats when necessary.”

Vital alliance

Much has changed since Theo Francken was first elected as Belgian head of the delegation in 2019.  Francken: “In 2019, French President Macron still doubted the vitality of NATO. Shortly afterwards, Putin’s extremely violent and imperialist adventure led to a rekindling of enthusiasm for NATO. The alliance, which was searching for its place in a changing world, now stands stronger and more united than ever.”

Putin’s actions have brought NATO members closer together, reminding them of their core values and the crucial role they play on the world stage. This was without falling into the trap of direct confrontation with Moscow.

What about Belgium?

While almost all Member States take their obligations regarding the security of their citizens and solidarity with their allies seriously and invest in defence, there are still those in our country who doubt the need to invest in defence.

Theo Francken: “Belgium is one of the founding members of NATO and is home to both its political headquarters (in Evere) and military headquarters (in Mons), which provides significant economic returns. We owe it to ourselves to do our part within this alliance and invest more in defence. Our society and industry can only benefit from this.”