At the height of Covid fervour, each meeting of the Consultative Committee was watched with genuine public interest: Would we be allowed to see friends? Could we plan a holiday? When would bars reopen?
The hope of better times to come could be realised or shattered by this select group of ministers. Naturally, we waited with baited breath.
So when the Committee reunited yesterday, this time in the name of saving us from monstrous energy bills, you'd be forgiven for having similar expectations. Surely they would reveal some exceptional measures that until now had been off the table?
Alas, such hopes were dashed by a characteristically candid De Croo whose main objective seemed to be presenting Belgium as powerless to prevent a winter of energy uncertainty and eye-watering bills. His assurance that the national authorities will "pull out all the stops to get through this" were tempered with the recurring caveat that "it is only at the European level that we can stop the bleeding."
The Prime Minister was at pains to stress that the solutions must come from the EU and he promised that Belgium would continue trying to convince the other Member States to work together. But despite De Croo's insistence that we are all in it together, the facts on the ground paint a rather different picture.
There is a sizeable disparity between different EU nations, each with their own individual energy infrastructure, reserves, and suppliers. Whilst there is certainly assistance that can be implemented at the EU level, there are many measures that are down to individual countries.
Belgium's neighbours have already announced severe constraints to save energy consumption and avoid major meltdowns. Yet aside from commitments to lower heating and switch lights off in public buildings, Belgium has stopped short of imposing such stern limits on the public.
Yes, some financial aid was promised but the exact details remain unclear, beyond guarantees that social tariffs and lower VAT on energy will stay in place until March next year. Yet on the thorny issue of Belgium's nuclear reactors – which would offer a major respite from the long-term energy insecurity we currently face – De Croo was keen to push aside, though calls are growing to properly address the issue.
And so after an underwhelming first performance, will the new energy Consultative Committee have more to show in two weeks? Let @Orlando_tbt know.
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