The N-VA is submitting a proposal to abolish the Senate permanently

The N-VA is submitting a legislative proposal to abolish the Senate permanently. In doing so, the party wants to declare a number of constitutional articles subject to revision so that the Senate can be definitively dissolved in a subsequent constitutional revision.

“The Senate has an extremely limited role these days, but it costs taxpayers huge amounts of money: EUR 39 million in 2020, for example. The Senate does not offer any added value with these powers and this scope of duties. What is more, I notice that many parties use the Senate to put regional powers on the agenda at the federal level anyway,” says party chairman in the Senate Karl Vanlouwe.

“We are not alone in our request. Senate president D’Hose of the Open Vld party has also called for the abolition of the institution, and the federal government has also indicated in the margins of its latest budget agreement that it will ‘reflect on a phasing out scenario’.”

Time to show true colours

However, the N-VA fears that this will once again lead to postponement. “The only possible phase-out scenario for the Senate is its abolition. That is the biggest saving,” the party states. “It is now time for the other parties in the Senate to show their true colours and support our proposal.”

Politics, too, must save money

“In these times of the energy crisis and skyrocketing Inflation The increase in the general price level. The original meaning (literally “to blow up”) is monetary inflation, which means that the amount of money increases. Today, inflation primarily refers to price inflation. This means an implicit monetary depreciation. This causes the purchasing power to drop. inflation , the government must more than ever be economically prudent with available resources. The abolition of the Senate is a strong signal to our citizens: politics, too, must save money,” Vanlouwe concludes.