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flandersfocus on THE DUTCH SPEAKING PART OF BELGIUM press review weekly, does not appear in July • number 44 • 19 November – 25 November 2005 Flemish businessmen call for INTRODUCTION he Vlaams Belang, the Tfacelift party of the Vlaams splitting of Belgium Blok which was censured last year for racism, wants to show it is ready for a share in office. After 25 years the party has number of Flemish businessmen of Brussels as Capital of Europe, along deemed it wise also to present Aand publicists, calling themselves the lines of Washington, D.C. an economic programme – a question of building the Warande Groep, argues in a mani- up its credibility as a policy party. At information and debate evenings, Flemish employers had had festo in favour of the Belgian state PASCAL DENDOOVEN • DE STANDAARD • the chance to hear how airy the party’s economic structure being split. The manifesto 25 NOVEMBER view was. So if the party wanted to make its charm has been produced at the initiative of offensive directed at Flemish employers more cred- Remi Vermeiren, the former chief exec- The manifesto shows that the disad- ible, something urgently had to be done. On 25 November the VB therefore holds its very utive of the largest Flemish bank, the vantages of the Belgian polity consti- first economic conference, in Ghent. Ahead of the KBC group. Aside from him, the group tute a curb on the development and event itself, De Tijd examined the party’s econom- also counts among its members René protection of wealth. The book defends ic programme. The very first conclusion: in the Belang’s forecasts, most economic problems melt De Feyter (former managing director of the position that the costs of discon- away the moment Flanders becomes autonomous. the Flemish Employers’ Association ), tinuing the Belgian model are lower After all, in that scenario the annual financial trans- Frans Crols (director of the business than the costs of keeping it intact. fers to Wallonia would disappear and the public weekly Trends), Herman De Bode (the Well-known complaints are the com- debt would also become a lot more bearable. The debt would be split, and largely paid off by Wallo- current chief executive of McKinsey plex state structure with the fragmen- nia since the bulk of that debt was incurred on Wal- Belgium) and Manu Ruys, the former tation of powers, the political compro- lonia’s behalf. For the rest the party offers employ- editor-in-chief of De Standaard, along mises that are not customised to the ers everything they ever dreamt of: cuts in social security charges and corporation tax, a trimming with a further 50 or so other prominent regions involved, and the financial of the government apparatus, etc. However, figures. The manifesto is well founded, transfers from North to South. nowhere does the party explain where it will get lists the disadvantages of the current It is striking that the group led by Ver- the money with which to pay for all these gifts. The Belang may still deny that it is an ultra-liberal Belgian polity and opts for the solution meiren has not involved any politi- piece of work, but it cannot deny that the pro- cians in the initiative. They want to gramme is a lot more attractive for employers than CONTENTS pursue a healthy debate on the issue for employees. The social part only has to be filled without it being put in anyone’s politi- in when Flanders has become independent. After all, the Vlaams Belang does not want to let itself be Economy and Justice cal corner. confined in a left-right story, so the message goes. The asian factor in Flemish ports 2 As regards their solution for Brussels, The Liberal-Socialist antithesis should make way Leterme in favour of ‘Flanders Port Area’ 2 those behind the initiative drew their for ‘the surplus value created by enterprising and hard-working people’. That is pretty hazy, says De Belgonucleaire closes 3 inspiration from Washington, D.C., ad- Tijd, and in actual fact merely a reiteration of its Bill for reform of Criminal Court 3 vocating that Brussels be developed to equally vague and sometimes conflicting stances Threat of a split within Pharma.be 6 become the European capital. How- during the strike action against the Generation ever, the book does not adopt any Pact. As we know, Antwerp figurehead Filip Dewin- ter did not shy away from defending the strikers, Social policy standpoint on the state structure that whilst a few days later his colleague Gerolf Anne- Generation Pact: take it or leave it, says the future Belgium should take. They mans called on the right to strike to be restricted. government 4 stand up for the regions gaining their Dewinter has to appease a large reservoir of voters who formerly voted Socialist. The municipal elec- Socialist metal union takes first step independence, but it is the regions that tions are just around the corner and the candidate towards split 4 will have to work out whether Bel- mayor is chiefly targeting the anti-immigrant and 25 November: union information day gium becomes a republic or remains a anti-Islam sentiments living in Antwerp’s working- class districts. In alliance with Vlott, the movement about Generation Pact 5 kingdom. of Liberal dissident Hugo Coveliers, he is hoping to break the current majority. Coveliers, who was Welfare and Foreign policy ousted from the VLD after having besmirched his Quarrel about cheques for childminding 6 own party leaders in the press for months, is hop- ing for the votes of right-wing Liberals, but is any- Father Theunis is back home, thing but an electoral heavyweight. However, as Ruanda policy remains unchanged 7 Send your email-adress to figurehead of the VB enlargement he was given second place on the alliance list. Rather than a gen- [email protected] uine programme, it is rancour that is driving Cov- Culture: and recieve a password for eliers’ engine, writes De Standaard (24 November). Discord within coalition on powers of VRT board 7 www.focusonflanders.be Frank Vandecaveye | editor in chief focus on FLANDERS • 19 November - 25 November 2005 • Number 44 2 ECONOMY PORTS PORTS Leterme argues in The Asian factor in favour of ‘Flanders Flanders’ ports Port Area’ In his argument in favour of the Flemish ports, Leterme constantly high- lemish Minister-President Leterme lighted as assets the deepening of the Scheldt to 13.10 metres and the Fis of the view that the Flemish sea- widening of the harbour mouth in Zeebrugge ports of Antwerp, Zeebrugge, Ghent and Ostend should jointly expose their virtues abroad. This is a lesson he has uring his trade mission to the Chi- Patrick Dewael (VLD) with solid guar- learnt from his recent trade mission to Dnese cities of Beijing, Sheng Xian antees. As one of the largest terminal China. Leterme is suggesting that from and Shanghai and to the city state of operators in the world PSA then took a now on the ports sell themselves under Singapore, Minister-President Leterme majority stake in the merger of the the joint name ‘Flanders Port Area’. He (CD&V) focused, not without reason, Antwerp transhipment companies says that he got the idea when he on Flanders’ ports. Not only do Chinese Hessenatie and Noord Natie. This has noticed that a port 40km outside shipping companies bring a large part of since had a huge domino effect on port Shanghai was still referred to as the port the cargo that enters the ports of Zee- activities in Antwerp and Zeebrugge. of Shanghai (FF). brugge and Antwerp, but Chinese and In Antwerp PSA is active in various Singaporean port operators are also docks and terminals. At the end of this BART HAECK • DE TIJD • 22 NOVEMBER developing ever-greater terminal activ- week the brand new PSA container ter- ities there. In his argument in favour of minal in the Deurganck Dock will also The Minister-President stresses that the Flemish ports, Leterme constantly be brought into service. he is leaving the ports’ autonomy highlighted as assets the deepening of In Zeebrugge PSA participates in two- undisturbed. Such plans are sensitive. the Scheldt to 13.10 metres and the thirds of the port activity. The Singa- In 1995 the Antwerp Community for widening of the harbour mouth in Zee- porean giant has interests in the Con- the Port argued in favour of a strategic brugge from 300 to 500 metres. The tainer Handling Zeebrugge (CHZ) alliance with Zeebrugge, but nothing respective port CEOs, Eddy Bruyn- terminal (67%), the transhipment ever came of that. inckx and Joachim Coens, who accom- company Combined Terminal Opera- Eddy Bruyninckx and Joachim Coens, panied the minister on his mission, say tors (90%) and Sea Ro Terminal (50%). chairmen of the Antwerp and Zee- that it is a good thing that these The company is investing heavily in a brugge port authorities respectively, investors also hear from the Flemish 56-ha car terminal and will be spend- travelled with the Flemish Govern- political policymakers that there is a ing EUR 70 million in the next three ment to China. Leterme asked them to political commitment to increase the years for three new cranes for the CHZ consider his proposal. He stressed that ports' accessibility (FF). terminal and for the fitting out of an the current names and logos would not extended wharf in the Albert II dock. change. The port of Antwerp can con- PATRICK MARTENS • KNACK • 23 NOVEMBER Last week PSA said that the latter two tinue to refer to itself by that name, investments were definite.

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