This Tuesday, N-VA deputy Theo Francken attacked the Minister of Defense, Ludivine Dedonder (PS), on Facebook. The Flemish nationalist criticized a trip by the socialist to Estonia on March 11 to see Belgian F-16 pilots engaged in a NATO mission.
“I have been a member of the Parliamentary Defense Committee since 2010 and I have seen a lot of things, but with this government things are going too far,” wrote the former Secretary of State. What does he reproach in particular to Mrs. Dedonder? To have taken journalists with her, when the members of the Defense Committee are supposed to take part in such a trip and their trip has already been canceled twice.
Theo Francken also felt that, for her “public relations”, the minister might not be satisfied with the army Falcon, “too small for her journalistic entourage”. He therefore accused “Diva Dedonder” of having “specially chartered a larger plane, an extremely expensive Bombardier CRJ-900”. The opposition deputy estimated the cost of this return flight at more than 100,000 euros. “It’s the poor Ministry of Defense who foots the bill, of course,” he added sarcastically.
The deputy also shared his surprise to see that, on board, in addition to the national media, there were also two members of Notélé, “a small local television station in Tournai”, where the minister lives.
“No more journalists than usual”
Contacted by La libre, the spokesperson for Ludivine Dedonder reports that there was no desire, on the part of the minister, to fly aboard the Bombardier. “The two smaller planes were simply not available”, explains Rodolphe Polis.
According to him, the media are present during each trip of the minister abroad. “And there were no more journalists than usual during this mission,” retorted Mr. Polis. As for the presence of Notélé, he explains that “it is due to the number of seats available on the plane”. But does the minister favor television in her region? “All the local TVs receive our press releases. There is no desire to favor one channel. Notélé had already been contacted for other trips but had not come.”
Rodolphe Polis finally recalls that the two trips by parliamentarians were canceled for reasons of Covid and then because of the unavailability of one of the large army planes. “But they will eventually participate in this trip,” he says.
Theo Francken intends to question the Minister on this subject this Wednesday in the Defense Committee.