The leader of the Francophone socialist PS party Paul Magnette does "not want to waste a second" on negotiations about confederalism with the Flemish nationalists, he said in a frank but courteous hour-long debate with N-VA leader Bart De Wever on Tuesday night.
While polls predict that PS will gain the most votes in Wallonia and N-VA will remain one of the biggest parties in Flanders after 9 June, Magnette and De Wever – both candidates to become Prime Minister – are at opposite ends of the political spectrum, both economically and on the question of a Belgian divorce.
"I do not want to waste a second discussing confederalism," said Magnette, referring to De Wever's insistence on a state reform which would give more powers to the regions, instead of the centralised Federal Government.
However De Wever called on Magnette to "Be honest. We have already talked about it and we will talk about it again, if the Flemish voters want it." He blamed PS for Wallonia's dire financial situation: "Flanders is tired of that, we are no longer willing to finance that."
In response, Magnette painted De Wever as a "gravedigger" of Belgium. "After an hour of debate, we finally see your true face. You have not changed anything: all your caricatures only serve to weaken Belgium. You still want the end of the country."
PS leader Paul Magnette (left) and N-VA leader Bart De Wever. Credit: Belga/Laurie Dieffembacq
On the issue of Belgium's finances, De Wever reiterated his preference to create a "mini-cabinet" in the wake of the elections which would be dedicated solely to an economic programme. This would be tasked with bringing Belgium's financial affairs in line with EU budget rules and would involve the regional governments of Wallonia and Flanders sending one person for each party to the cabinet, De Wever explained.
"Make a regional government in Wallonia and a regional government in Flanders. Each party that is in it will then send one person. It would have only one task: implementing the European budget rules."
Re-federalising?
But whereas his Flemish rival favoured reducing federal powers, Magnette suggested pooling some competencies and bringing them to the federal level: "re-federalising." He gave the examples of health and climate: welfare and the environment are regional competencies, but public health and climate are federal.
On the topic of migration, opinions diverged significantly. On this front, Magnette accused N-VA of "chasing the Flemish far-right Vlaams Belang" (with a hardline approach to migration, ed. note). But De Wever argued that the migrant return policy of the current Federal Government has "collapsed" and said that social benefits for migrants are too generous whilst integration is insufficient. Making light of Magnette's migration views, De Wever asked "Why not invite the whole world (to live in Belgium)?"
On the economic front, De Wever restated his claim that voting for PS would set Belgium on a course "straight to bankruptcy". Meanwhile Magnette said that De Wever's "tough savings plans" would be the ruin of Belgium's hospitals.
For De Wever, it is Magnette's "uncontrolled expenditure" that will make national pensions unsustainable: "If the debts pile up, sooner or later the bailiff will come along."
At the end of the debate, both men were asked whether their parties would join a government if the other was Prime Minister. "No," was the immediate response from De Wever, while Magnette said that now is not the time to discuss who would hold that office, before also conceding "No".
