Flemish nationalist party N-VA is launching a campaign in Wallonia ahead of the elections on June 9, disclosed at a press conference on Wednesday.
Party leader Bart De Wever and MP Theo Francken introduced their leading candidate for the Chamber in the Walloon Brabant district, right-wing entrepreneur and columnist Drieu Godefridi. Despite not being a party member Godefridi will represent the party’s campaign in the southern region.
N-VA will field candidates in each Walloon province for the Chamber elections. Godefridi expressed the aim to secure three seats or five if possible.
"I was not lying when I said we would launch in Wallonia," De Wever declared. For the Flemish nationalist, Walloon voters didn’t have the opportunity to vote against the poor management of the Vivaldi.
When asked if the N-VA would compete with Francophone liberals, De Wever equated the Reformist Movement (MR) to the Federal Government coalition (nicknamed Vivaldi), questioning their exact role.
Godefridi agreed and criticised MR, branding it an integral part of the socialist system. "If we have the Vivaldi, it’s because of Mr. Bouchez," he added, citing a photo of the MR leader in the company of ex-Open VLD leader Gwendolyn Rutten and ex-Groen party co-leader Meyrem Almaci from 2020.
For the lead candidate for the Walloon Brabant, an N-VA list was necessary since the only options were the coalition partners or the radical left PTB.
"I find the MR's record disastrous," he told RTL on Wednesday. "Otherwise, I would have joined them, it would have been easier, because carrying an N-VA list in Wallonia is not the easy choice. If I had joined the MR, what would the results have been? At the moment, they are disappointing".
Godefridi stated he was approached by Theo Francken two and a half months ago. Francken described Godefridi as one who speaks excellent Dutch and favours confederalism. Godefridi concluded, stating that confederalism is the project he stands for.
