Flemish majority parties are blowing up silence agreement
© Belga
The Flemish majority parties N-VA, Vooruit and CD&V put an end to the silence agreement. Knack writes that and the message is confirmed to Belga.
According to Vooruit party leader Kris Verduyckt, the MPs of the majority must be able to do their work in parliament in a healthy way and with the necessary freedom. Changing majorities with opposition parties Vlaams Belang, Open VLD, Groen or PvdA will remain out of the question.
In the Flemish Parliament, there has been a 'silence agreement' between the majority parties for years. This agreement contains, among other things, the agreement to first test plans and proposals within the majority and not to submit proposals without the knowledge and support of the other parties. That agreement had to strengthen the coherence of the majority and had to help prevent alternators and chaos.
Previous legislature grew the criticism of the silence agreement. For example, Maurits Vande Reyde (Open Vld) and Orry van de Wauwer (CD&V) took the appointment under fire. Now the 'silence agreement' is effectively overhauled.
« Dealing together in an adult way »
« I have never seen that appointment, » says Vooruit party leader Kris Verduyckt. His party was in the opposition the previous legislatures. “MPs must be given the freedom to submit proposals. They can safely decide for themselves. The only appointment between the majority is that we will work well together and will not look each other 'the Duvel', « said Verduyckt.
That is what N-VA party leader Philippe Muyters says. “We want to treat each other in an adult way. That means that there is more freedom to take initiatives, without, of course, having the majority in trouble. The coalition agreement remains the coalition agreement and it is therefore not the intention to look for change majorities. We are going to test that now and as fractions we are going to communicate transparently about it, « Muyters told Belga.
Parliament chairman Freya van den Bossche (Vooruit) stated earlier that no new agreements made during the negotiations. « There is no silence agreement for me, » it was previously in this newspaper. “It is an absurdity. MPs must be given more room than in recent years. «
