Sophie Wilmès, the former Prime Minister of Belgium, has stated her willingness to collaborate with all democratic parties in forming a federal government following the June 9th elections but rules out the PTB and Vlaams Belang.
Wilmès is currently a candidate for the Reformist Movement (MR) in the European election.
During her appearance on RTL-TVI’s “Face à Buxant”, she discussed the upcoming elections in light of the rise of extreme parties and polarisation.
“With the rise of the extremes, if they take 50 seats out of 150 and democratic parties are excluded, we’re going to block the country. That’s the last thing we should do”, said the liberal. An alliance with the PTB is also out of the question, according to Sophie Wilmès, who discusses “neither with the extreme right nor with the extreme left.”
When questioned about the possibility of a coalition between the Flemish separatist party New Flemish Alliance (N-VA) and extreme right Vlaams Belang, Wilmès foresees significant hurdles. “It would vastly complicate the formation of a federal government. Nobody wants to form a coalition with a party linked with Vlaams Belang.”
“There’s a distinction between a theoretical majority and actually forming a majority,” she noted. The Reformist Movement announced last autumn that Wilmès would lead negotiations for the liberal party in order to form a government post elections.
Wilmès, also a candidate for the European Parliament on the Reformist ticket, is making a high-profile return to public and media circles. After stepping down from her role as Foreign Minister in April 2022 to care for her cancer-stricken husband who passed away in November, she remains a popular figure among Belgians.
When asked if she had found positivity following her personal trials, Wilmès responded, “There must be something positive to draw out; it’s part of the healing process if you will. Have I found what that positive aspect is? It’s still a bit too early.”
