focus on flandersTHE DUTCH SPEAKING PART OF BELGIUM press review weekly, does not appear in July • number 25 • 29 June – 5 July 2002 INTRODUCTION a flan Verhofstadt locks horns r l dr hen the Socialists, Liber- u e s • s f u o c c als, and Greens took the u W o f s • o VU-ID on board in the Gov- n n with the CD&V on police r f e l ernment of Flanders in 1999 a d n n d a l e f in order to secure a majority in r f s u a • ccording to federal Prime Minis- f BOUDEWIJN VAN PETEGHEM • o s k u the Flemish Parliament, they Ater Guy Verhofstadt, the Chair- DE STANDAARD • 5 JULY could scarcely have suspected man of the Association of Flemish the adventures it would lead to. After the new Cities and Municipalities (Verenig- Verhofstadt ended his argument in state reform, the party broke in two and a part of ing van Vlaamse Steden en Gemeen- the superlative, saying that it was VU-ID went over to the opposition as the New ten - VVSG) Jef Gabriëls, who is also all a game manipulated and orches- Flemish Alliance (N-VA). A little later VU-ID minis- the CD&V mayor of Genk, over- trated by the CD&V, which is using ter Sauwens had to be hastily replaced because he was spotted at a meeting of eastern front stepped the mark when he declared the most commonplace opposition fighters. And in the last six months it has become that as far as the VVSG was con- ploys, that do nothing whatsoever apparent that Spirit, the faction of the former cerned there was no longer an agree- to help promote security. Of course, VU-ID that had remained faithful to the govern- ment on police reform. In the parlia- that was a remark that CD&V MP ment, was in danger of falling short of the 5% mentary debate on 4 July, Paul Tant could not ignore. He re- threshold in next year’s elections. The result was Verhofstadt said that Gabriëls had torted that Verhofstadt was failing that Spirit mandataries opted to make the best of a bad job and went off in search of safer pas- let himself be manipulated by his to address the core of the matter, tures, for example to parties such as the VLD and party. Gabriëls denies this, and and that the Prime Minister was re- Agalev, where a more attractive place on the claims that the VVSG has a ‘condi- sorting to insults because he did not electoral list still beckoned. It was when Culture tional agreement’ with the Federal have any other arguments. ‘You’re Minister Bert Anciaux announced his plans to riv- Government. According to De Stan- not keeping your promises and et Spirit into an alliance with the SP.A that the ex- daard, not only CD&V mayors but the municipalities are becoming odus really gathered momentum, much to the also mayors from the Liberal/Social- pressed for money,’ the Christian- dismay of Anciaux himself, who had clearly mis- judged the consequences of his choice. Deeply ist/Green coalition feel that the gov- Democrat mayor said, whereupon affected by what had happened, he resigned his ernment should cough up more mon- the angry Prime Minister referred to ministerial portfolio. As has often been the case ey for the police reform (FF). next week’s budget control, which in the past with a politician prone to displays of he said would convert the major fed- emotion, his resignation was accompanied by CONTENTS eral financial promises into hard emotional remarks, of which the outbursts di- cash. rected at VLD Chairman Karel De Gucht echoed the longest. The Government of Flanders found Politics On being asked, Jef Gabriëls modi- itself facing a crisis precisely a week before the Minister Anciaux resigns 2 fied his position of Monday. The festivities marking the seven hundredth anniver- Anciaux attacks VLD power politics 3 VVSG is still conditionally in agree- sary of 1302 were due to kick off. But since a so- The Flemish Government reshuffle 3 ment and that is a position of the ne- lution was found quickly, the government has VLD obtains a pyrrhic victory 4 gotiating delegation, which met on been able to limit the fouling of its own nest, as the matter. ‘The problem,’ Gabriëls this incident has come across in the public opin- ion. Nonetheless the Anciaux crisis is a turning Economy said, ‘is that we have the Prime point for the Socialist/Liberal/Green project, in Foreign investments fall by 80% 4 Minister’s word, but that the texts the view of De Morgen (4 July). The feeling of fra- Karel Vinck in charge of Belgian do not correctly render the agree- ternity between contemporaries in the Govern- railways 5 ments as we understand them.’ The ment of Flanders has disappeared. Wounds have Ebone fibre optic network shut chairman of the VVSG is asking the been inflicted and distrust has crept in. De Stan- down 6 Prime Minister to monitor the cor- daard agrees with that: this conflict was no longer about policies, but unadulterated power. Airbus A400M: what about rect compliance with what has been Minister-President Dewael has understood that. Flemish compensations? 7 agreed. There is no doubt that He wants agreements within the government - a Gabriëls’ entreaty is along the lines kind of non-aggression pact between the minis- Agriculture of what is felt by many mayors from ters of the Government of Flanders internally. Af- Manure row between Flanders the Liberal/Socialist/Green majori- ter all, when they come back from their summer and Wallonia 6 ty. They, too, are keeping tabs on break politicians will be busier with making up Verhofstadt & Co. the electoral lists than with the Liberal/Social- ist/Green project. And then the urge to present Culture an image could take on grotesque forms. The cultural policy of Bert Anciaux 7 I Frank Vandecaveye | editor in chief focus on FLANDERS • 29 June - 5 July 2002 • Number 25 2 POLITICS PARTIES few days. If he can persuade Etienne Flemish minister Bert Van Vaerenbergh to move to the Liberals as an independent and Anciaux resigns Agalev leader Gheysels can do the same with Spirit member Herman efore the Government of Flan- Brussels. Furthermore, it is also po- Lauwers, the four remaining Spirit B ders takes off on its summer litical fiction, since both the VLD MPs will no longer be necessary for recess (24 July), it first has to over- and Agalev have been making it a majority. come a minor crisis. Totally unex- clear in the last few days that two pectedly, the Minister for Culture, ministers was too much for a party Sport, and Brussels Affairs Bert that now only has five MPs. There- Opinion Anciaux (Spirit) has tendered his fore, Dewael did not make any in- resignation. He feels that he can tensive efforts yesterday to per- YVES DESMET • DE MORGEN • 2 JULY no longer function as a minister. suade Anciaux to change his mind. Anciaux, who wants to steer his On Monday evening nobody had a The fact that two of his colleagues, party Spirit into a cartel with the ready-made solution for a way out Patrick Vankrunkelsven and Sven SP.A for the 2003 federal elections, of the political crisis. Once Anci- Gatz - who were actually his lieu- is extremely disillusioned with the aux had informed him of his resig- tenants - did not believe in his pro- ‘political power games’ that are nation, Patrick Dewael immediate- ject and opted for the VLD, was the being played out. In particular, ly started a round of consultations. straw that broke the camel's back, the insinuations that he is only ty- Senior figures in the government because he regarded their choice as ing to safeguard his own political and in Spirit's ranks were reviewed, his personal failing. Anciaux is not career with his choice of an al- but nobody was able to conjure up a giving in to the demand of VLD liance with the SP.A are gnawing solution. Chairman Karel De Gucht, who at him. When he also learnt on first plucked all the cherries off the Monday morning that Brussels Spirit cake and then demanded MP and friend Sven Gatz had left RUUD GOOSSENS • DE MORGEN • that Spirit also drop a ministerial Spirit for the liberal VLD, it was 2 JULY post. Bert Anciaux is sick and tired too much for him. Gatz is alleged- of the cynicism and Machiavel- ly not the only one who is not fol- After the elections of 13 June 1999, lianism of the Rue de la Loi. He is lowing the course set by Anciaux. the governing coalition had a major- fed up of seeing the progressive pro- MEP Bart Staes and federal MP ity of 71 seats, with the distribution ject in which he believed, and for Ferdy Willems are reportedly con- amongst the parties in office look- which he regards Spirit as essen- sidering defecting to Agalev, ing as follows: 27 seats for the VLD, tial, being depicted as his personal whilst Chairperson Annemie 20 for the SP.A, 12 for Agalev and 12 guarantee of a new mandate. Inci- Vande Casteele does not want to for VU/ID. Sixty-three of the 124 dentally, if his resignation is ac- carry on in the chairperson's job. seats are needed for a majority in the cepted he will be without a job.