Must-read: Bart De Wever digs through his government’s discarded measures as politicians’ holidays spark anger

Bart De Wever has been digging through the political equivalent of a rubbish bin. The Belgian prime minister is reviewing measures his Arizona coalition decided to set aside, including the coalition’s absolute taboo: a VAT increase.

The issue quickly brought MR leader Georges-Louis Bouchez into the debate. The liberal politician said he would not accept the measure and described it as a red line. “You can bring these images back out,” he said on RTBF, making clear that he would not give way.

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You can bring these images back out.

De Wever already has enough on his mind as he works on the budget. He told RTL that the exercise was giving him sleepless nights. “I don’t sleep well and I think about it a lot,” he said. His concern, he explained, was not simply the tension inside the Arizona coalition, but the effect of the measures he will have to take.

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I don’t sleep well and I think about it a lot.

“We are in a situation where everyone will feel the consequences of what we do, no matter how we do it,” De Wever warned. The government must find no less than €10 billion, which gives a pointed meaning to the image of the prime minister searching through discarded policies.

La Libre’s weekly political roundup also turns to the irritation caused by politicians’ holidays. While many Belgians have returned to work and children have gone back to school, some political representatives appear to be extending their break. The article presents the issue with a satirical tone, alongside other major political stories from the week.

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We are in a situation where everyone will feel the consequences of what we do, no matter how we do it.