KORTRIJK, BRUGES – The West Flemish economy is in urgent need of reflection. And in order to make West Flanders the economic engine on the North Sea, we must under no circumstances fall back on protectionism like our French neighbors. Maaike De Vreese (Flemish MP) and advisor Gijs Degrande (N-VA) write this in a column. They consider the time ripe for what they call a ‘Declaration of West Flanders‘.
The duo’s column appeared in Trends. “Although the West Flemish economy surprisingly survived Brexit without any major unscathed, new alarm signals expose new deep-lying pain points,” say De Vreese and Degrande. “That is why it is high time for a new declaration: the Declaration of West Flanders. West Flemish entrepreneurs are modest, but proud. The down-to-earth entrepreneurial mentality of West Flanders is a quality mark. We have fantastic young talents achieving global success, fast-growing tech companies that are pioneering and pushing boundaries and SMEs that are true global players. West Flemish entrepreneurs are praised as hard workers who do not complain, but do door.”
Sputtering engine?
And yet the engine is sputtering, say the politicians. “What was temporary unemployment for years has evolved into a permanent labor shortage,” the message reads. “And while West Flanders has surplus space, there is hardly any room left for entrepreneurship. Add to this the automatic wage indexation, Vivaldi’s fiscal policy and the difficulties in terms of permits and you get an idea of the inhibiting environment in which our dynamic entrepreneurs are in danger of getting stuck. Entrepreneurship is reaching its limits.”
About The wrote
These boundaries may be taken literally, the argument continues. “The wrote, which runs straight through the Westhoek and has been the official border between Flanders and Northern France since the seventeenth century, symbolizes a historical fault line,” they write in the column. “Barely twenty years ago, West Flanders was still praised as an example . Today the roles are reversed. We are seeing a remarkable industrial and economic revival around the port of Dunkirk. Two battery factories will soon be established there, the French government is investing in new nuclear power stations and industrial zones are being created everywhere. This economic growth has enormous appeal. In recent years, several West Flemish companies have opened branches across the border.”
No protectionism à la Francaise
The indicators are red, De Vreese and Degrande think. “To make West Flanders the economic engine on the North Sea, we should under no circumstances fall back on protectionism like our French neighbors,” they say. “Producers are often required to open a production facility on French soil if they want to sell there. Product of France or no product at all. In this way they only contribute to the fragmentation of the internal market. While our prosperity is precisely related to it. A strong internal market cannot tolerate unfair competition, but requires strengthened cooperation. The development of an economic network with strong clusters across the wrote brings together expertise and anchors productivity on both sides. Our education system must respond to this by providing appropriate training. Furthermore, it is urgent to coordinate logistics infrastructure, transport connections and mobility. For example, setting up cross-border, regulatory-free testing grounds can stimulate innovation in our province. The developments in Northern France? It is time to seize this opportunity and move up a gear yourself. Also politics. Collaborate on the wrote is not a new concept by the way. On the contrary, for centuries we have done nothing else. We do not have to start from scratch, but can build on deep-rooted historical, cultural and economic ties. Isn’t that a nice opening for a powerful Declaration of West Flanders? For entrepreneurship, way over the line.”
Tags: Flemish politicians time ripe Declaration West Flanders
