flandersfocus on THE DUTCH SPEAKING PART OF BELGIUM press review weekly, does not appear in July • number 8 • 23 February – 1 March 2002 INTRODUCTION la fland Purple-Greens iron ur re s • s f u o c c n Belgium, 55 to 60% of o u f s • o electricity is still generated n n I r out creases f e l a d by four nuclear power sta- n n d a l e f r f s u a • f tions in Doel (near Antwerp) o s k os Geysels and Karel De Gucht, men and leaders of the majority u and three in Tihange (near JPolitical Secretary of Agalev and factions of Chamber and Senate Hoei). The current Purple-Green government’s Chairman of the liberal VLD re- managed to iron out the creases. coalition agreement specifies that nuclear ener- spectively, had already made it Nothing can stand in the way now gy will gradually be downscaled. An agreement clear last weekend. The bickering of the Purple-Greens’ continua- on this has now been reached. All nuclear pow- between government partners, es- tion until the next election, say the er stations must close after 40 years which pecially between Blues and government parties (FF). means the oldest power stations, Doel I and II Greens, had to stop. Immigrant and Tihange I, must close in 2015 and the last voting rights, the appointment of DE FINANCIEEL-ECONOMISCHE TIJD • power station will shut down in 2025. Never- representatives for the European 1 MARCH theless, the liberals want to leave the option to convention and eco-taxes could no keep the nuclear power stations operational, in longer be stumbling blocks. At a One of the first decisions was to case insufficient replacement electricity is gen- special meeting, Prime minister meet more frequently, thus allow- erated by 2015. The Greens, in turn, want guar- Guy Verhofstadt (VLD), the chair- ing adjustments to be made more antees that this option is not an excuse to allow quickly if a dossier threatened to the alternative energy policy to slacken. For the get out of hand. Federal Prime min- Greens, the agreement is a political windfall, CONTENTS ister, Guy Verhofstadt, solemnly even if, strangely enough, they have the banks Politics: promised that he would not force to thank for it, De Standaard points out (28 Feb- Purple greens have lost any more government candidates ruary). After all, the banks announced they their verve 2 onto the Parliament, as was the were pulling out of nuclear energy. The invest- No federal money for Walloon case when appointing the Belgian ments are massive (EUR 2.5 billion per power care insurance, says Dewael 2 representatives (including De station) and their capital will produce a faster, Gucht) for the European conven- safer return elsewhere, they argue. Electricity Mobility: tion. As far as the immigrant vot- producer Electrabel and the employers’ organi- Road safety is top priority 3 ing rights dossier was concerned, sations are firmly against the decision. Nuclear the VLD agreed that a vote would power stations are not worn out after 40 years, Agriculture: Vulnerable be taken on the current proposal in they suggest. They feel that closing them be- areas increase manure surplus 4 the Senate Committee that dealt fore the end of their economic life is an ex- Housing policy: Gabriels sends with this. Greens and socialists tremely uneconomical decision. Not to mention VHM management home 4 agreed to submit to the results of an unecological one. Because, electricity will this vote. Federal Deputy Premier, unavoidably have to be generated by power Economy Louis Michel, had already an- stations that burn fossil fuels. Wind energy ABX parcel service being nounced that he would ask his par- alone can never meet the vast demand for elec- privatised 5 ty, the PRL, to vote against the pro- tricity. Even if the least polluting solution, nat- KLM suspends flights from posal. The PRL is, in fact, in favour ural gas power stations, is chosen, enormous Deurne 5 of the voting rights but does not quantities of CO2 will still be released. Belgium 2002, a crucial year for Telenet 6 feel they are worth a government may well meet the Kyoto standard in 2012, but No merger between Virgin Express crisis. The Greens have now been by 2015 that will be incredibly difficult, em- and SN Brussels Airlines 6 given the assurance that the clo- ployers maintain. What’s more, natural gas has sure scenario for nuclear power sta- another disadvantage. Its price fluctuates with Youth policy: Anciaux tions will definitively be approved that of oil. It is feared that electricity prices will subsidizes youn travelers 7 at the meeting of the cabinet. The do the same. It would have been more logical if Media and Culture: VRT radio Council of State will also be asked the government had first answered the ques- networks not troubled by to provide an emergency advice on tion of what energy sources Belgium would use newcomers 7 the eco-bonuses bill, another in the post-nuclear era, concludes De Finan- Rik Wouters exhibited in Green initiative. cieel-Economische Tijd (22 February). I Antwerp and Brussels 7 I Frank Vandecaveye | editor in chief focus on FLANDERS • 23 February - 1 March 2002 • Number 8 2 politics GOVERNMENT BART EECKHOUT • DE MORGEN • Purple-greens 26 FEBRUARY ‘I do not feel Geysels is attacking have lost their verve Verhofstadt,’ explains De Gucht. ‘But I do sense concern from a coali- he Purple-Green coalition’s there was a consensus among the tion partner who is seeing the com- T open debate culture has degen- majority at government level con- mon address disappear. It is a con- erated into an open-chaos culture. cerning De Gucht’s candidacy, a cern I share. Purple-Green language The parties in power now seem large number of majority MPs ab- must again resurface.’ Even De only to be able to agree that they stained. These undoubtedly in- Gucht feels that too much energy disagree. This was how De Finan- cluded a significant number of has recently gone into in-fighting cieel-Economische Tijd concluded Greens. In the end, De Gucht won and Purple-Green bickering. its assessment of Purple-Green just 55 of the 135 votes cast. Many Verhofstadt himself is not aware of policy on February 23th. Things MPs refused to accept that De any harm. According to spokesman were scarcely more encouraging in Gucht was delegated, although he Miguel Chevalier, the lack of cohe- De Morgen: the Purple-Greens does not sit in the Federal Parlia- sion in the government team is ‘an lack persuasiveness, the Purple- ment. His Green candidate re- obstinate cliché without basis. In Green recovery appears to have placement Fauzaya Talhaoui paid the PCB crisis, for example, the gov- ground to a halt and Verhofstadt the price for it vis-à-vis the liberal ernment declared its support for seems to have lost control of his MPs. She was not even elected. In Minister Aelvoet (Agalev).’ The fact coalition. De Standaard also re- an interview in De Morgen, Jos that VLD Chairman De Gucht ported that the bottom had Geysels, Agalev’s political secre- agrees with Geysels is not a prob- dropped out of things. The on-go- tary, concluded that the Purple- lem for Chevalier. ‘Party chairmen ing shilly-shallying around voting Greens have lost their verve and have a different view of things,’ he rights for immigrants in the Senate that Guy Verhofstadt, otherwise claims. ‘The truth is that people are committee has not done the cohe- so driven, is noticeably silent. Gey- working harder than ever. We have sion any good. A low point in the sels feels that the government reached a period in which existing relationship between the majority team must just clearly state what plans are being implemented, but parties was the vote in the Cham- else will be achieved before the does not always provide ‘sexy’ poli- ber for the delegation of VLD elections in June 2003. His call has tics.’ Chairman Karel De Gucht to the now found a willing ear with VLD European convention. Although Chairman Karel De Gucht. (FF). I CARE INSURANCE the understanding that a federal rul- ing is unlikely to emerge, the Fran- Dewael: no federal money for cophones are hoping for federal money to develop a care insurance Walloon care insurance system in the French Community. Premier Verhofstadt laughed off their request. The prime minister he Walloon Region, the French MARK DEWEERDT • DE FINANCIEEL- however denied any Francophone TCommunity, the Commission ECONOMISCHE TIJD • 27 FEBRUARY offensive. ‘The Francophone minis- communautaire française (COCOF) ter-presidents do not want federal (French Community Commission) in The views of the Francophones are care insurance, they are only asking Brussels and the German-speaking not entirely in unison. Everyone us to play a coordinating role. At Community are seeking a counter- knows François-Xavier de Donnéa their request, we will organise an in- part to the Flemish care insurance (PRL), Prime Minister of the Brus- terministerial conference to discuss for non-medical assistance and ser- sels Region, believes that care insur- the problems of an ageing popula- vices. On 26 February, a number of ance should be worked out on a fed- tion’, said Verhofstadt. Mieke Vogels Minister-presidents tabled the ques- eral basis. Care insurance must not (Agalev), the Flemish Welfare Minis- tion in the Conciliation Committee, lead to subnationalitities in Brus- ter, felt that the initiative of the oth- in which the Federal Government sels, he says. The Walloon Minister- er regions and communities was and regional governments are repre- president, Jean-Claude van Cau- purely and simply a request for fed- sented.