French-speaking Green co-leader Jean-Marc Nollet (Ecolo) pushed back against Flemish nationalists N-VA's plans to reduce the powers and competencies of the Federal Government after the 2024 elections.
Speaking to Belgian TV channel LN24 on Monday, Nollet was questioned about N-VA leader Bart De Wever’s vision for the country. Nollet is arguing for great cooperation, but stressed the need for caution when dealing with the Flemish nationalist party, who want to reduce federal powers if elected into government.
This weekend, De Wever addressed an N-VA party conference in Mechelen about his plans to reduce and streamline a future Federal Government, which would primarily focus on the budget and socio-economic reforms. "We’re going to turn this country around and to do that, the N-VA must lead in Flanders. If we succeed, if we receive this trust, I intend to seize control," he said at the rally.
On Monday morning, Nollet refuted De Wever's vision of a "business" cabinet instead of forming a regular government.
"I'm obviously against that. Behind this vision, we are witnessing a patch-up approach and an inability to make major decisions. In 2019, we stood up to the formation of a Socialist Party (PS) and N-VA government. We represent the opposite of their values." Nollet claims that MR is "dreaming of a coalition" with N-VA, while PS could be available for one, "but Ecolo will always be the bulwark against the N-VA."
Nollet argued that his party stands at opposite ends of the political spectrum to N-VA, while also offering a more hopeful vision for Belgium's progress and future.
"It's not my style to cry scandal at every turn," Nollet said. "We have a social security system that works well and has weathered many crises. In terms of individual rights and life choices, Belgium is one of the most progressive countries."
Making Belgium more efficient
The Green parties' cooperative federalism, which calls for more federal power, contrasts N-VA's confederalism policy – a further severing of institutional ties between Belgian regions.
Alongside its Flemish sister party Groen, Nollet and Ecolo want to make Belgium more efficient by increasing federal power – under the banner of cooperative federalism. Behind this idea, is Belgium's botched environmental policy due to continued opposition in the Flemish Government.
"Belgium is too often blocked and incapable of making decisions. We are now proposing solutions to make Belgium more efficient and less complex. The aim is to strengthen the capacity of the Federal Government," Nollet said.
Nollet spoke of the Belgian Greens’ proposals to strengthen the capacity of federal power "to act, to take a stand," which would make Belgium more efficient and "understandable" for citizens.
As an example, Nollet blamed N-VA's veto powers in the Flemish Government (which N-VA leads, but is in opposition at the federal level) for Belgium’s failures in environmental policy. The fallout is largely ideological, with Flanders repeatedly breaching the principles of the Paris agreements on an economic rationale.
"If Flanders were an autonomous country, it would receive a red card from Europe," Nollet concluded. "It is therefore essential... that as a last resort it should be the Federal Government that takes the final decision. It is because of N-VA's role in the Flemish Government, where it uses a lot of vetoes, that Belgium no longer exists on the international stage [on climate change]."
