Who came out ahead of the nitrogen crisis: N-VA or CD&V? According to Bart De Wever, the president of the nationalists, the CD&V did not obtain anything more than what was already in the agreement which had been negotiated a week before. Sammy Mahdi, the president of the CD&V, affirms… the opposite. His losing party won on several key points, he said.
Which of the two is right? As often, the truth lies in the middle. For the N-VA, it was essential that the Flemish government be able to continue its work today. Mission accomplished. For the CD&V, spurred on by the powerful agricultural union Boerenbond, the priority was to show its determination to defend the interests of farmers, one of its last electoral strongholds in the countryside. Successful operation.
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In this dossier, the CD&V defended its point of view with the energy of despair. The Flemish Social Christians have lost many of their feathers over the past twenty years. In the last elections, they obtained only 15% of the votes. And according to recent polls, it has fallen below 10% today. “The CD&V doesn’t no more choice, he must refocus on his business, emphasizes Peter Van Aelst, professor of political science at the University of Antwerp. And that’s what he does. It is shown on themes such as family, seniors, farmers, local communities. These are his strengths, assets that he intends to capitalize on during the 2024 elections.”
The CD&V sticks to its positions
The CD&V, as was the case in the past, is no longer ready to sacrifice itself for the common good. For Sammy Mahdi, what matters above all is the party’s project. The new president therefore hardens his tone, beefs up his speech to win his case. In his book “From hollow to full”, Sammy Mahdi had set the tone. “Let’s get involved! It is still time. No more playing middleman.” With Sammy Mahdi at the helm, the party does not hesitate to raise its fist when necessary, where necessary and when necessary. A tactic that some sometimes find it more difficult to apply. Hilde Crevits, Deputy Prime Minister in the Flemish government, for example, leans more towards the cohesion of the Flemish majority. But Sammy Madhi holds the hard line.
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“For many, observe political scientist Steven Van Hecke (KU Leuven) in Knack, the CD&V will remain the Flemish party which fought for the partial indexation of family allowances during the discussions last September. Even if he made a re-entrant curve at the last moment, the subject will remain in people’s minds. With the Nitrogen Agreement, the CD&V is now seen as the party which defends the interests of farmers, cutting the rug out from under the feet of the Vlaams Belang which, more than ever, is recruiting potential voters in rural areas.”
Like the melting ice floe
But for many, the CD&V still carries the image of a goat-shout party. “Almost twenty years ago, political scientist Kris Deschouwer (VUB) compared the CD&V to the ice floe which is slowly but surely melting like its electorate melting like snow in the sun, observe Peter Van Aelst. For years, inaction characterized the party, which rested comfortably on its certainties. Yes, this change will take time. But doing nothing was unthinkable, his survival depends on it.”
Sammy Mahdi has been driving the CD&V team for ten months. Is this the beginning of the rebound for the Christian Democrats? “Some thought that it was enough to appoint a good communicator, a bit like Conner Rousseau at Vooruit, to win votes. But that cannot be enough for the CD&V which, like many centrist parties in Europe for decades, is mired in a very deep structural crisis.” notes Vincent Scheltiens, historian at the University of Antwerp. These parties lost not only voters but also members. This front has opened a breach into which the far right hastened to rush.
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Is Sammy Mahdi’s hard line appreciated within the CD&V? According to some, his intransigence should not weaken the party. “On the contrary, I perceive today a greater sympathy of the public with regard to the CD&V which defends the interests of its members”, observes the editorialist Rik Van Cauwelaert. According to him, Sammy Mahdi managed to keep a cool head during the nitrogen crisis.
On the ground, in the countryside, CD&V elected officials do not however hide their dissatisfaction. Several mayors, notably Walter De Donder, the mayor of Affligem and Dirk de fauw, the mayor of Bruges, are skeptical. Francis Benoit, the mayor of Kuurne in West Flanders reacted on Twitter during the nitrogen crisis, disillusioned: “The CD&V bares its fangs and breaks its jaw. Too many parties are currently claiming the top spot at the center of the political spectrum”.