Bart De Wever shows the way in his New Year’s speech: “We continue to work on a Flanders that relies on its own resources”

“Only the N-VA can be the force in Flanders to transform this country into a confederation.” In his New Year’s speech, chairman Bart De Wever made clear what the task of the N-VA will be in the coming years. 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 is the only way to restore democracy in Belgium, said Bart De Wever. “We continue to dream of and work on a Flanders that relies on its own resources.”

Bart De Wever gave his New Year’s speech in an empty Nekkerhal in Mechelen. Normally, the speech is part of the N-VA New Year’s party, but that was cancelled due to the coronavirus. At the beginning of his speech, Bart De Wever reflected on the “worst pandemic since the Spanish flu”: “Looking back at 2020 is confrontational.” But humanity has also shown resilience, the N-VA chairman said. “Thanks to the efforts of so many ordinary Flemish people, although Flanders has been badly hit so far, we are anything but defeated.”

Flanders after the coronavirus

Bart De Wever then looked ahead to the post-coronavirus era. “We must already carefully plan how we are going to get out of the valley.” To this end, Bart De Wever looks to Flemish Minister-President Jan Jambon and the Flemish Resilience recovery plan, for which Flanders is providing EUR 4.3 billion. “Jan, nothing but tough years await you, but you can lead Flanders through them.”

Flemish democracy stands firm

Bart De Wever then expressed his full confidence in the Flemish ministers. A special word of thanks went to Liesbeth Homans, Speaker of the Flemish Parliament. “We must not deny the fact that in 2020, Flemish policy was also dealt serious blows. But what we certainly did better was keep Flemish democracy alive. Thank you, Speaker of Parliament Liesbeth Homans, for the fact that the Flemish Parliament always continued to function fully and safely, and that it did not allow itself to be unnecessarily degraded to a proxy parliament. Democratic decency is important, after all.”

Trump and De Croo

The latter brought Bart De Wever seamlessly to the purple-green government of Alexander De Croo. “With the formation of the purple-green government, Flanders will already be in the minority within the federal administration at least half the time in this century by 2024.” The N-VA chairman denounced Alexander De Croo’s accusations of Trumpism against anyone who criticises his government. “Under the guise of the coronavirus, the most outdated Belgicism imaginable is poured out over the population. And anyone who contradicts the government on this is pushed aside in terms that are far from nice.”

Bart De Wever ended his New Year’s speech with a verse from Lieve Devijver, the wife of Willy Kuijpers, who died at the end of last year.

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