De Croo blocks alternating majorities: ‘Let us stay together until the end’

The majority parties are not going to bombard each other with alternating majorities, because that would jeopardize the legislative work that is still in the pipeline and that is important to them.

In many sensitive dossiers, such as abortion and euthanasia, but also nuclear energy and asbestos, all brakes within Vivaldi were in danger of being loosened with the end of the legislature. In order to get a number of things through before the elections, majority parties flirted with seeking support from the opposition in the House.

Before the Easter recess, the faction leaders of the majority parties and the top government agreed not to embark on any adventures. “Let us stay together until the end,” said Prime Minister Alexander De Croo (Open VLD) at the start of a majority consultation, during which the agenda until the dissolution of parliament on May 9 was discussed.

‘That is also the logic of things, especially in a coalition of seven. Every prime minister would do the same,” says CD&V parliamentary faction leader Servais Verherstraeten in a response.

Nevertheless, it seemed useful to make clear agreements, because the opposition wanted to test whether the majority could be split up. In the Justice Committee, PVDA tried to get through a relaxation of the abortion regulations, but the members of the majority left the committee when a vote had to be taken.

The majority therefore remains loyal, as was previously apparent in the nuclear energy dossier. The coalition partners approved the nuclear phase-out law. This means that Doel 4 and Tihange 3 will remain open for ten years longer, but the door will also remain legally locked for the construction of new nuclear power stations – even though almost all majority parties outside the Greens are now calling for more nuclear energy.

In the asbestos dossier, N-VA MP Valerie Van Peel, who left politics disappointed by the sterile game between majority and opposition, had to conclude again that there was once again no support for her proposal, even though an agreement seemed within reach.

The conclusion within the majority is that no one has to gain from venturing into alternating majorities. It would only lead to chaos in the last weeks of government, which would be irresponsible. It would also jeopardize the legislative work still in the pipeline, which is important for all majority parties.

It has already been agreed that the majority parties will draw up a list of priority legislative initiatives that should be approved in parliament before the end of the legislature. These legislative texts must be submitted by the end of this week at the latest.

For a number of controversial issues, such as the limitation of party financing, the majority consultation has shown that it will no longer be possible in this legislature. There is also no further progress on the abortion file. However, another attempt will be made to reach an agreement on asbestos.

Prime Minister De Croo will check with the deputy prime ministers which constitutional articles are declared open for revision. The question is whether the list of five articles provisionally drawn up in 2021, including ‘passe-partout’ constitutional article 195, should be expanded or not.