After a couple of days, though, Vijnck changed his mind. He defected again, returning to LDD from Open VLD, which he had just joined. In Dedecker’s words (Vijnck himself has gone completely silent), the MP did not feel very welcome in Open VLD after all. The fact that some parliamentary aides got the sack because of him struck his conscience, too. So he returned to LDD, bringing the number of times he has switched between the two parties to no fewer than three.

Dedecker welcomed him back with open arms – understandably, as he now gets to keep his staff and financing. Moreover, this prodigal son story gives Dedecker the chance to triumph, once again, over his former party Open VLD.

By making public the “contract” Open VLD offered Vijnck, Dedecker has rubbed salt in the wound. This agreement, which was not legally binding, proved very damaging to Bart Somers, the Open VLD president whose name is underneath it. In the agreement, Vijnck is promised another term as a member of parliament. Should this not be possible (after all, only elections can decide this), then Vijnck could count on “a cabinet post or a different job with a similar income”. Either way, he would have been paid with taxpayers’ money.

All of this is bad enough, but last week also made clear that Vijnck is simply incompetent. Dedecker himself said that he would not let Vijnck say a word in parliament. He described him as “a nice guy, who hands out the sandwiches during party meetings”. Dedecker originally recruited the working-class Vijnck during a meeting in a pub by shouting out: “Who is willing to invest €5,000?”. Vijnck put up his hand.

So Somers found this guy good enough to become MP again, or – which is worse? – be given another job at the expense of the taxpayer. This is unworthy of any party president, but it is even worse for a liberal who believes in a minimal state. Somers has come to this conclusion himself, calling the contract “a mistake”.

The damage has been done, though, for Somers, who already lacks credibility and has a hard time shaking off his reputation as “Playmobil man” in the hands of Guy Verhofstadt.

Dedecker could not have planned it more perfectly.