David Clarinval: Unemployment reform delivers €1.6 billion in savings

David Clarinval says Belgium’s reform limiting unemployment benefits has generated €1.6 billion in net savings, after the government set aside €400 million for public welfare centres to support people moving onto social integration income.

The MR deputy prime minister described the reform as a success that has entered its “cruising phase” after several implementation stages. Before the transfer to the CPAS, the savings amount to almost €2 billion, he said. The reform also sends a political message: “In Belgium, lifelong unemployment is over.”

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Some people with BIM status arrive at their doctor’s office in a Porsche. This is not a joke.

Clarinval said Belgium’s system remains more generous than France’s, where benefits are currently limited to 18 months. He added that some candidates in France’s presidential election want to reduce that period to one year.

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In Belgium, lifelong unemployment is over.

The interview also focused on the government’s search for €10 billion in savings. Clarinval identified healthcare as a major concern, saying spending is projected to rise from €26 billion in 2019 to €49 billion in 2029. He attributed part of the increase to an ageing population but said other factors could be controlled.

He specifically pointed to the sharp increase in the number of people receiving the BIM status, which provides enhanced healthcare reimbursement. “Some people with BIM status arrive at their doctor’s office in a Porsche. This is not a joke,” he said. Clarinval also backed discussions on the tax treatment of mutual insurers and said the MR would put the BIM issue on the agenda. He maintained that the MR believes taxation has reached its ceiling, while expecting other coalition parties, except the N-VA, to propose additional taxes.

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The savings this reform provides are enormous: we are close to two billion euros.