Open Vld and CD&V threaten to give in over colonial apology

The federal majority parties are pushing for a parliamentary apology for the colonisation of Congo. Open Vld and CD&V were initially opposed to this, due to the risk of repair payments. According to the N-VA, this comes as no surprise: “We had already predicted that the liberals would give in to the PS and Groen. Vivaldi is paving the way for colonial reparations. We are strongly opposed to this.”

The Congo Commission hopes to conclude its work on Monday 12 December. However, the debate promises to be long-winded because there are still 103 amendments pending on the list of 128 parliamentary recommendations, 61 of which were submitted by the N-VA. The key issue is whether the federal parliament should apologise. Such a recognition of responsibility might trigger claims for colonial reparations, which several opposition and majority parties want to avoid. That is why both Open Vld and CD&V, more specifically Maggie De Block and Jan Briers, had expressed their opposition to such an apology in no uncertain terms to the Congo Commission.

Giving in to the PS and Groen

At the time of writing, however, neither side had tabled any amendment to delete or amend the colonial apology. There is no consensus within the Vivaldi coalition to amend the text proposed by Wouter De Vriendt (Groen) on this point. As a result, the recommendations still include an apology. The N-VA has already cautioned the other parties about this state of affairs. "Once again, the Flemish parties seem to be caving in to a demand from the PS and Groen. Vivaldi is paving the way for colonial reparations. We strongly oppose this," says MP Tomas Roggeman.

Insufficient legal arguments

The text states that an apology cannot give rise to recovery payments, but according to MP Wim Van der Donckt this is not sufficient. “You cannot take responsibility for the past while simultaneously rejecting any liability. There is no legal framework for this. Pressure groups can use these apologies to take the Belgian state to court and force colonial reparations."  A request by the N-VA to have lawyers investigate this was voted down by the majority.

No accountability for mistakes of the past

The N-VA also sees no reason why parliament should apologise on behalf of the population as a whole and take responsibility. “We can express our regrets about this, but an apology implies error and culpability. The people of Flanders and Wallonia today should not be held accountable for the humiliation and oppression suffered by the colonised population. Above all, we aspire to a mature partnership that prioritises the issues of today, rather than those of 100 years ago," both MPs concluded.