2023-06-25 18:59:00
While Vivaldi struggles with Irangate, Paul Magnette threw a new stone into the pond, charging Georges-Louis Bouchez harshly.
Interviewed by De Zondag, the socialist raised the possibility of replacing the MR with the Committed, to end the legislature. The president of the PS sharply criticized that of the MR, believing that the problem of the federal government is that “Georges-Louis Bouchez systematically calls into question all the decisions”, adding that “from the start, he discussed, criticized the decisions, blocked reforms”. A renewal of the current coalition, after the elections of 2024, is according to him only possible if the president of the MR changes his attitude.
Paul Magnette then spoke about tax reform, which is in turmoil. Several members of the federal government met again this Saturday to discuss it during a budget conclave.
”The MR is not essential”
The mayor of Charleroi wants to believe that finding an agreement is still possible. “The MR should not be given more power than he has. If Mr. Bouchez blocks everything, we also have other options. The MR is not essential. We can perfectly form another majority with Les Engagés”.
The threat has already been raised on several occasions by the PS, at the federal level as well as at the Walloon level. It should be taken seriously, but only as a warning.
Because in absolute terms, no negotiation would be formally started between the Engaged and the PS.
Irangate: the pressure on Lahbib has dropped a notch, but PS and Ecolo have not given up on giving back to MR de Bouchez the change of his coin
This exit is not, assures us the Boulevard de l’Empereur, used in the context of bargaining related to the Lahbib case.
The PS sees in this tax reform one of the last beautiful feathers to put in his hat. The Socialists intend to present an honorable record in the 2024 elections, in particular against the PTB. However, the MR of Georges-Louis Bouchez is seen by the socialists as the political force which prevents them from doing so.
Passing the hat to Bouchez
We can also read in the words of the socialist an attempt to make Montois bear the hat of a collective failure, with regard to the reform carried out by the Minister of Finance, Vincent Van Peteghem (CD&V). This does not eat bread, while the president of MR is weakened by Irangate and by a latent protest within his party.
Mathematically, this coalition formula would be possible, since an alliance that excludes the MR but includes the Engagés would total 78 seats out of 150.
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“We are a party of responsibility and we have no vocation to remain in opposition.”
Politically, it is not unthinkable either. “We are a party of responsibility and we have no vocation to remain in opposition. But we are not just a spare wheel. We therefore do not exclude anything, in the interest of the population, but the question is currently premature”, indicates Maxime Prévot, president of the Engagés who specifies to have “contacts with all the parties but not in this context currently”.
The formula could, if necessary, have the support of the greens.
“Paul Magnette opens the door to an alternative, when the time comes, notes an environmentalist source. “Faced with the extremism of the president of the MR, we do not exclude anything. That said, as we have seen in other cases, Georges-Louis Bouchez is capable of giving up at the last moment, as in the case of the Faculty of Medicine in Mons.
Such a maneuver would eventually make it possible, in the event of Vivaldi’s fall, to continue the work of the government without having to call early federal elections that no one wants.
Still need to convince the Prime Minister. In the ranks of the federal government, we are assured of having been focused on the CNS (National Security Council) and not having had time to read the interview with Paul Magnette… It would be particularly difficult for the PS and Ecolo to convince Egbert Lachaert (president of the Open VLD) to weaken the liberal character of a government that the militants of a moribund Open VLD already consider too left-wing.
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