Van der Straeten wants to file a complaint against Bouchez for defamation: “New low point in politics” | Domestic

Earlier this week, Bouchez said that he believes there should be a committee of inquiry into the way in which the extension of the nuclear power stations was handled by Van der Straeten and the then CEO of high-voltage grid operator Elia, Chris Peeters. According to the MR chairman, people had lied in the months before in order to be able to stick to the nuclear phase-out.

“This is slander. Bouchez has said twice that I am lying, that I am instrumentalizing Elia’s analyzes and that a commission of inquiry should be set up. We are talking about a committee with the powers of an investigating judge, who has the ability to conduct searches. And now there should be one, simply because the chairman of the MR has a different opinion about the policy to be pursued?” Van der Straten responds in the interview. “If Bouchez wants to legalize the political debate, I will file a complaint for unfounded statements that are also legally actionable.”

I would like to continue my work, but with this MR, with this method? By no means

Minister of Energy Tinne Van der Straeten (Green)

The Green minister accuses the MR chairman of engaging in “bully politics”. “A government is a team, but Bouchez does nothing more than carry out frontal attacks on the person, with statements that are based on nothing. This is a new low in politics.” Van der Straeten is therefore not immediately keen to join a new government with Bouchez’s MR: “I would like to continue my work, but with this MR, with this method? By no means.”