Strategie 2025: did Brussels even want the Flemish signature?

The N-VA seriously doubts if the Brussels plan for the future, “Strategie 2025”, will create a new economic dynamic in Brussels. Member of Brussels Parliament Cieltje Van Achter (N-VA) sees the proposed plan mainly as “a complex jumble of 18 steering committees for 18 goals, divided into even more operational sites, each with its own task force. Many public servants and cabinet staff will surely be needed to populate all those task forces. Are these the dynamics Minister-President Vervoort (PS) envisions?”

“Certain policy goals only raise questions,” says Liesbet Dhaene, Cieltje’s colleague in the Brussels Parliament. For example, Brussels wants to improve language education so as to “develop bilingualism in at least one of the official national languages”. “Does this mean we should no longer encourage knowledge of both French and Dutch?” she wonders.

Flanders refuses signature
N-VA Brussels understands that the Flemish government was not able to sign this document. “The Brussels policy choices in the strategy are sometimes flatly opposed to the Flemish ones,” Van Achter remarks. “For example, Brussels invests in internships and government jobs, while Flanders is trying to cut back on administration. Moreover, history teaches us that government jobs are not a solution for unemployment issues.”