N-VA wants to phase out the princely endowments

MPs Hendrik Vuye and Veerle Wouters have submitted a bill for phasing out the endowments to Prince Laurent and Princess Astrid over a five-year period. “Why should we use the taxpayer’s money for the maintenance of members of the royal family who do not undertake work in the public interest?”, they wonder.

By law a member of the royal family is not allowed to combine an endowment with income from a professional activity. “However our royals are particularly creative in circumventing the law,” Veerle Wouter says. “Indeed, the notion of ‘income from a professional activity’ is far too vague. How is it possible that Prince Laurent receives an endowment while having his own real estate companies? This completely undermines the spirit of the law.”

Both MPs therefore wish to significantly strengthen the law, as well as making it more transparent and modernising it. As a result, royals entitled to an endowment will no longer be able to engage in trading activities. Besides this, they will also be required to submit their accounts on time to the Court of Audit as well as give full access to the Federal Parliament. Any surpluses on their endowments will also be deducted from their next endowment. The conclusion of Hendrik Vuye and Veerle Wouters is categorical: “The lion’s share of these endowments are operating costs, they are not funds for personal enrichment.”

Fair pay for fair work
Finally, the N-VA bill also phases out the endowments to Prince Laurent and Princess Astrid over a five-year period. “Just as in other modern constitutional states, the royal children will have to find their own way,” says Hendrik Vuye. Once the princes no longer receive an endowment, the law will still grant them compensation if they undertake work in the public interest. “This means that they will be paid fairly for their work in future, which is a healthy principle.”