“We have too big a deficit. The numbers are bad […] If we look at the deficit of the Belgian State in its entirety, namely the federal state and the federated entities, it is 5.9% of GDP”, specifies the liberal on the set of LN24, this Thursday morning. “But we will work to reduce this deficit…”
When Martin Buxant asks her what money supply this 5.9% represents, the Secretary of State replies that it is “far too much”. Struggling to give the amount, Ms. Betrand remains evasive, referring to “billions of euros”. “The figure, I don’t want to tell you not to say a mistake, but I will check it.”
Contacted following this interview by La Libre, Alexis Bertrand justified this oversight by fatigue. “I woke up at 4 a.m., following spending 9 a.m. in the Commission yesterday. I was hesitant regarding the accuracy of the figure at the time, so I preferred not to make any mistakes and I assume it. But as soon as I left the studio, I gave the precise amount to Martin Buxant: 33.6 billion euros. I am a human being…”
“Make our social security system more sustainable”
Following this interview on LN24, Alexia Bertrand also mentioned the public debt, which is close to “109% of GDP” nationally. The Liberal wants the government to tackle it as soon as possible.
“What the European Commission is saying is that our expenses are too high. It’s not just regarding temporary measures (like those linked to the energy crisis, editor’s note) but also structural measures linked to the aging of the population such as social security, pensions or even allowances, she explains. For the European Commission, it is therefore necessary to reform. It is no longer enough to make efforts on primary expenditure and to make small savings.”
What needs to be reformed? The labor market “and its employment traps” but also pensions. “At the end of 2049 and 2070, the burden of pensions and social security will continue to increase, continues the Secretary of State. In the long term, we must therefore make our social security system more sustainable.” And fight once morest an employment rate deemed too low. “If we reach an employment rate of 80%, that will bring in extremely large amounts structurally.”
Rather than evoking a bankruptcy of Belgium, Alexia Bertrand prefers to recall “the risk of being put in excessive deficit procedure by the European Union”. Procedure that can “theoretically” lead to fines.
“In Parliament, we observe that the Prime Minister changes his speech from one month to another”
Aware of the heavy task that awaits her, the Brussels liberal however refutes the idea of Sander Loones to sell state assets to bail out her coffers. “These are just one-shots. It reduces the debt but it will not have a structural impact” on the system. With these one-time cash inflows, “you may be reducing a temporary problem […] but this is not a long-term solution”, punctuates the Secretary of State.
