The President of the centre-left Dutch-speaking Vooruit party has once again floated the idea of forming a coalition government with right-wing Flemish nationalist party N-VA after the 2024 federal elections, Le Soir has reported.
On Monday, President Conner Rousseau claimed that he would be open to forming such an alliance with N-VA so as to prevent the latter's far-right Flemish nationalist rival, Vlaams Belang, from taking power.
"Anyone who can count knows that you cannot bypass N-VA," Rousseau said on Sunday. The 30-year old added, however, that there are still "bridges to be built" between N-VA and the Socialist Party (PS), Vooruit's Francophone sister party.
Contacted by Le Soir, PS President Paul Magnette claimed that he had "no connection" with Bart De Wever, and that the two leaders only ever communicate to discuss their respective mayoral functions and priorities. Magnette is the Mayor of Charleroi, while De Wever is the Mayor of Antwerp.
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Rousseau's latest comments represent a remarkable recent thawing of relations between himself and De Wever.
In October, Rousseau stated that his party would not enter into a coalition government with N-VA if the latter formed an alliance with Vlaams Belang.
This drew an angry reaction from De Wever, who, in turn, accused Rousseau of flirting with the prospect of forming a coalition government with the "communist" left-wing Workers' Party of Belgium (PTB/PVDA).
"The only ones who will decide [N-VA's political alliances] are the N-VA members," De Wever said. "And I don't think Conner Rousseau is a member of the N-VA."
