2024-11-23 12:25:00
“We work six days a week”we summarize in the entourage of the party presidents who negotiate. Some days, meetings start at 9 a.m. and end at 10 p.m. Other times, we are more in a 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. format. But it’s going strong. “All I can tell you is that the atmosphere is constructive.” confirms Sammy Mahdi, president of the CD&V, more laconic than usual. It must be said that the president of the CD&V had been the most vocal about the collapse of the negotiations. The fact that the latter leave with an Arizona configuration (N-VA, MR, Les Engagés, Vooruit and CD&V) is enough to make him happy.
Will to move forward
Clearly, the mood has changed. In several sources, the word “constructive” comes up. They explain to us that there is this time “a real desire to move forward”proof is that nothing is leaking about the negotiations. The substance of the discussions, the themes at stake, the matters negotiated… this no longer appears in the press. The five parties in potential Arizona are playing the game of discretion to facilitate discussions.
Friday, the presidents of the MR and the Engagés, Georges-Louis Bouchez and Maxime Prévot, had to shorten their conference at the Cercle de Wallonie. The “Kings of Wallonia”as the Circle nicknamed them, quickly left the Château de la Vecquée (Namur) to reach Brussels. On the menu, there was the economy.
Rousseau returns to the negotiating table “for ordinary people”, De Wever brings back anti-stress eagles
This positive sequence does not mean that an agreement will be reached quickly. “And government agreement for Saint-Nicolas? No, this will not be possible under current conditions. There are still too many things to sort out. We’ll probably have it for Christmas, under the tree.”adds a third party involved in the negotiations with a smile.
It is normal for negotiations to take time, we are reassured. Today we are talking about a funnel formula. The themes explored over the last five months have made it possible to reach a series of agreements on different points. But we still need to agree on the most complicated ones: budget, taxation.
Arizona takes shape in parliament and on Instagram
Remarkable political fact which testifies to the new unity which brings together the “Arizonian” formations: the sequence against the “PS system” which we were able to observe Thursday in the Chamber. For the first time since June 9, the political families showed that they were no longer united.
Brother parties in opposition, this crutch that could slow down the smooth progress of Arizona
In recent weeks, the PS was still pulling Vooruit by the neck to prevent him from joining the government. The MR was still going out of its way to replace the Flemish socialists with the Open VLD. In a “Lagoon” type scheme, the political families would have been united in parliament: the liberals (VLD and MR) in the majority, the socialists (PS and Vooruit) in the opposition. On Thursday, we saw these four parties distance themselves from their brother formation. Parliamentary roles are being formed.
On Instagram, Bart De Wever posted a photo showing him with representatives of the five parties. For the 1000 days of the war in Ukraine, the trainer posed Georges-Louis Bouchez, Maxime Prévot, Sammy Mahdi, Frank Vandenbroucke (for Vooruit) and Jan Jambon (N-VA).
At the same time, Prime Minister Alexander De Croo convened a kern in order to launch the procedures to put in place the current affairs budget (provisional twelfth). With any luck, Santa will have a new government in his hood…
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#Federal #formation #government #agreement #Christmas #tree
How does Sammy Mahdi envision balancing economic recovery and social support in the ongoing negotiations?
**Interview with Sammy Mahdi, President of the CD&V, on Recent Negotiations**
*Interviewer*: Thank you for joining us, Mr. Mahdi. It seems that the atmosphere around the ongoing negotiations has shifted positively. What do you attribute this constructive environment to?
*Sammy Mahdi*: Thank you for having me. Indeed, I can confirm that we are currently working very hard, with meetings taking place six days a week. The atmosphere is constructive, and there is a real desire to move forward. Unlike previous negotiations, we’re seeing a level of discretion that helps keep our discussions focused and productive.
*Interviewer*: You mentioned discretion—how has that impacted the negotiation process itself?
*Sammy Mahdi*: The lack of leaks regarding the substance of our talks has allowed us to engage more openly without the pressure of public speculation. It fosters a sense of trust among the parties involved. This confidentiality is crucial, especially when dealing with complex topics like budget and taxation, which are still on the table and require careful handling.
*Interviewer*: Can you elaborate on the current status of these discussions? It sounds like there is a lot of work still to be done.
*Sammy Mahdi*: Absolutely. While we’ve made progress on several points over the last five months, the main issues—particularly those related to budget and taxation—remain challenging. As one negotiator humorously noted, we won’t have a government agreement ready for Saint-Nicolas, but we’re aiming to have something under the Christmas tree, so to speak.
*Interviewer*: What are the key themes you are focusing on as you move forward with your partners in this Arizona configuration?
*Sammy Mahdi*: The key themes include economic recovery and social support. We aim to address the needs of ordinary people while finding a balance between fiscal responsibility and the necessary investments to stimulate growth. We have a long way to go, but the intent is clear—we want to create a government that can effectively serve the public.
*Interviewer*: Thank you, Mr. Mahdi. It sounds like a challenging but potentially fruitful path ahead for the negotiating parties.
*Sammy Mahdi*: Thank you. It’s a demanding process, but the commitment from all parties is there, and I believe that, together, we can build a strong future for our community.
