Different worlds

Communities and regions in Belgium often seem entirely different worlds from the federal state. This has the obvious advantage that we can go without a federal government for over a year, without collapsing into chaos. However, the regions and communities are not completely separate from the federal state: After all, it is all about the same people.

Last week two incidents made this clear.

Kris Peeters is proud to be the minister-president of the Flemish government, which is far more stable than its federal counterpart. He is also proud that his ministers from CD&V, SP.A and N-VA have vowed to stay on until the end of the government term.

There are some destabilising factors, though. For one, N-VA did much better than its coalition partners in the federal elections. In theory, this should not affect the Flemish government, but it is hard not to see how this boosts the party’s confidence. Moreover, as the largest Flemish party, N-VA no longer participates in the federal government talks.

The effect of all this Peeters found out in the debate about his September Declaration last week. In the Flemish parliament and media, few were interested in next year’s budget. The question for Peeters and his ministers from N-VA was: How will the federal agreements on BHV and state reform affect the Flemish government? What if some of the elements go against the Flemish government agreement and the so-called Octopus agreement, which sums up the Flemish parties’ demands?

N-VA, which has already derided the federal agreements, is set to make some fuss about this, but it has announced that it will not quit the Flemish government. “If they want to get rid of us, they’ll have to kick us out.”

Someone who was clearly interested in Flanders’ budget was Guy Vanhengel (Open VLD), the caretaker federal budget minister. Of all federal, regional and community levels, Flanders has always been the most disciplined in meeting European and other budgetary norms. This leads to frustration: Why should Flanders put money away, while the others spend, spend, spend?

For this reason and with money on its hands, Flanders decided to spend some more, too. This alarms Vanhengel: If Flanders does not save up, the federal government will have to raise taxes, he warned. And who will be paying them? The Flemish, of course, as they make up the majority of this country.

After all, it is all about the same people, right?

Anja Otte

(October 4, 2011)