Open VLD leader Eva De Bleeker believes Elon Musk's plan to ask US government employees via email what they did the previous week is "common sense".
"It is a common practice in the private sector," De Bleeker said in an X post on Monday. However, the leader of the Flemish liberals later deleted the post and clarified she is "not a fan of Musk".
"The message was that we need to strive for a much more efficient government," she said. "And that includes analysing the functioning of our government personnel, just as it is done in the private sector. Period. For the record, not a fan of Musk. On the contrary."
Calls to ignore Musk's request
Elon Musk. Credit: Allison Robbert/POOL/AFP/Belga
Elon Musk, the tech billionaire and owner of the social media platform X, often shares his controversial ideas on public sector restructuring as an advisor to US President Donald Trump. He heads the DOGE – the "Department of Government Efficiency" – which aims to modernise and streamline government operations.
Last weekend, Musk announced that all federal employees would receive an email asking them to explain their activities from the previous week. He added that those who fail to respond would be dismissed.
Several US administrations, including the Departments of State, Defence, the FBI and the National Weather Service, have already instructed their employees not to respond to Musk's email. The request is reportedly not legal.
In addition, several unions are threatening to take legal action.
