2023-12-29 05:39:00
With the elections approaching, is Alexander De Croo taking advantage of his status as head of government to give himself new visibility to the detriment of the ministers who carry the files? This is the rumor that circulates in the rue de la Loi. The Prime Minister would have an unfortunate tendency to pull the cover on himself during meetings with significant influence. Behind the scenes, some are talking regarding a spin war. Translation: everyone would seek to project their own reading of the circumstances.
In the Middle East without Hadja Lahbib
The first event that spiced up tongues was Alexander De Croo’s trip to the Middle East on November 23 and 24. During these two days, the Belgian Prime Minister met several heads of state (Israel, Palestine, Egypt). The visit ended in a highly publicized diplomatic row following the liberal and his Spanish counterpart called on Israel to do more to protect civilians and respect international law.
Off the record, some wondered why Hadja Lahbib (MR) did not participate in the diplomatic mission. On these same dates, the Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs was on tour in the Balkans to refine the points aimed at opening the way towards an enlargement of the European Union. We are told that the minister was ready to postpone this European excursion in favor of the visit to Israel, but this did not happen.
Controversy surrounding the comments of Alexander De Croo: the Belgian ambassador to Israel summoned for a “severe reprimand”
Contacted, the De Croo cabinet assures us that there was no desire on the part of the Prime Minister to go it alone in the war in the Middle East. The visit was organized by the newly formed Spanish government (November 21). “Given the difficulties associated with this trip, we were asked to reduce the size of the delegation as much as possible.”
Another protocol circumstance explains the absence of the Minister of Foreign Affairs. When the trip was organized, Pedro Sanchez’s executive had not yet named his counterpart José Manuel Albares Bueno. For the sake of equivalence, Hadja Lahbib was not invited.
Nuclear, but no Van der Straeten
On December 2, Emmanuel Macron posts a photo on X from Cop 28. The French president poses alongside a series of other heads of state and government, including Alexander De Croo. Behind them is the desire to triple the world’s nuclear capacities by 2050. “See you in Belgium for the first Nuclear Summit in 2024,” writes President Macron.
Several observers were surprised not to see the Belgian Minister of Energy, Tinne Van der Straeten (Groen). It was implied that the Prime was taking back control of a file that the ecologist did not control or that De Croo was taking ownership of an issue with which Van der Straeten would prefer not to be associated. “The organization of this summit does not depend on us. It is the International Atomic Energy Agency which is in charge,” clarifies the Van der Straeten cabinet.
Alexander De Croo’s speech at Cop28: “There are many reasons to hope”
Furthermore, the holding of this summit has been planned for a long time. The idea was discussed within the federal executive in the summer of 2023 and Vivaldi chief mentioned it during his annual state of the nation address. “Next March, in collaboration with the International Atomic Energy Agency, we invite 30 countries to a summit on the key role of nuclear energy,” announced Alexander De Croo on October 10 in the Chamber.
From Croo to Texas, Dedonder to Tournai
The ceremony that certainly made the most noise was the one organized on December 10 in Fort Worth, Texas, for the presentation of the first F-35 combat aircraft intended for Belgium. Present were the Prime Minister, Chief of Staff Michel Hofman and Air Force Commander Thierry Dupont. Curiously, Defense Minister Ludivine Dedonder (PS) did not take part in the party even though it is a key issue of the legislature. This absence was read by some as the consequence of a strategy by the head of Vivaldi to shine the spotlight on his person.
Here, there is no imperial action which would see De Croo raise his finger to rule on the fate of his ministers. “It is not us who determine Ludivine Dedonder’s agenda. She was welcome,” we reply at 16, referring us to the Defense Minister’s teams. The latter evoke a problem of agenda and assure that there was no political signal from them. “It’s just out of the factory. We don’t have any trained pilots yet. We will prioritize the right moment to communicate regarding these combat aircraft.”
Behind the scenes, we hear another version. The French-speaking socialists did not want to appear during a “key moment” which resembles a success for the Swede. The fighter-bomber presentation show effectively represented the culmination of work started by Dedonder’s predecessor, Steven Vandeput (N-VA), under the Michel government.
If the De Croo cabinet skillfully manages to dismantle the accusations of “lone rider”, the only thing that remains is that the Prime’s attitude still makes people cringe. At the MR, for example, the fact that the head of government suddenly presents himself as the defender of nuclear power while the French-speaking liberals have long been alone in shouting for the atom goes badly…
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