DISCUSSION. High national debt slows down foreign investments: how important is this issue for you in upcoming elections?

The number of foreign investments in Belgium has fallen sharply in the last two years. This is also felt in the province of Antwerp. A problem that is partly due to our high national debt.

The EY agency, which advises companies on locations where they can open a new branch, maps the number of foreign investments in Belgium every year. This year, those figures paint a bleak picture. Until three years ago, Belgium was among the top five European countries attracting the most foreign investment. Today we are only in eighth place.

READ ALSO. Antwerp is increasingly falling out of favor with foreign investors, the main reason being… the high national debt

How does that happen? Tristan Dhondt, one of the people at EY who helps companies choose a new location, points to our national debt as one of the main reasons. “As many as 29 percent of foreign companies consider this to be one of the three main risks of investing in Belgium, because they fear that the high national debt will lead to higher taxes.” The fears of foreign companies may be further substantiated now that the new European budget rules have been approved. According to these rules, Belgium must save thirty billion euros or levy new taxes over the next four to seven years.

How important is this theme for you in upcoming elections?