The financial injection for defence is an artificial peak, not a sustainable course change, says MP Kjell Vander Elst (Open Vld) in response to the Easter agreement.
Though the agreement provides a one-off injection of €4 billion for defence, these are temporary measures without long-term structural guarantees. “The minister mentions €12.2 billion by 2029 on social media, but Friday’s agreement only extends to 2026,” Vander Elst stated.
He also pointed out conflicting communication regarding what counts towards the NATO norm. “Without structural funds, Belgium remains an unreliable ally,” he said. According to the Open Vld MP, a defence policy reliant on windfalls and temporary tricks is untenable.
Party leader Alexia Bertrand (Open Vld) criticized the De Wever government’s approach. “Finding Easter eggs in the Wetstraat is easier than finding agreements on dossiers.” Bertrand observed that the modalities of the capital gains tax have been postponed, as was the discontinuation of the Pre-pension scheme. “The funding of additional Defence expenditures is far from structural.” Bertrand has called for an urgent meeting of the Home Affairs Committee.
