Federal Energy Minister Tinne Van der Straeten (Groen) has said she will file a defamation lawsuit against Mouvement Réformateur party leader Georges-Louis Bouchez, who issued calls for a public enquiry into mismanagement of Belgium's nuclear power facilities.
In an interview with the same Flemish publication a few days later, Van der Straeten announced her intention to take legal action following suggestions by Bouchez that officials had spread lies about nuclear energy so that Belgium's plants would be phased out – something that Van der Straeten has long supported.
Bouchez called for a commission of enquiry into Van der Straeten and former Elia CEO Chris Peeters for their alleged role in spreading disinformation. "I am convinced that the Energy Minister of Energy has instrumentalised certain data and reports," he told De Standaard.
But Van der Straeten has said that her political rival's comments amount to slander: "Twice, Mr Bouchez said that I was lying, that I was exploiting Elia's analyses and that a commission of enquiry should be established." She explained that such a committee would have the authority of an examining magistrate and could technicall carry out searches. "Should we set one up simply because the MR party leader has a difference of opinion on the policy?"
The Minister also criticised Bouchez' belligerence towards other political figures: "A government is a team but Bouchez does nothing but directly attack individuals with baseless claims... This is bully politics."
Belgium's nuclear future
Nuclear energy has long been a sensitive topic in Belgium but need to break away from fossil fuels, expedited by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, changed both public and political opinion on the energy source, which was due to end in 2025.
The Belgian Greens have historically mounted strong opposition to nuclear power. But despite her previous refusal to consider extending the nuclear capacity, Van der Straeten was forced to revise plans to close Tihange 3 and Doel 4 plants, instead extending their operational lifespan until 2035 in order to protect the country's energy security.
By contrast, Bouchez and the MR have been long-standing proponents of nuclear energy and have repeatedly lambasted political efforts to wind down Belgium's power stations. "The Greens made nuclear power an ideology. It's a technology," Bouchez said previously.
Van der Straeten has expressed her distaste for entering a government with the MR party under Bouchez' leadership. Meanwhile, Bouchez has stated that his party is in favour of entering into a coalition with N-VA, Open VLD, CD&V and Les Engagés – all parties who advocate nuclear energy. Vooruit is more neutral on the subject but the liberal politician has repeatedly criticised the Greens' "dogmatic stance".
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Several members of government have expressed their support for Van der Straeten. "Respect for Tinne Van der Straeten. Georges-Louis Bouchez' macho politics must stop," Nadia Naji (Groen) tweeted. "The lies have been refuted twice already."
For his part, Bouchez said that this was not the first time political opponents had taken legal action against him and that he won each case. He insists that his comments are democratic, "much as that frustrates the left".
