Bart De Wever and Hilde Crevits in 2019. — © Geert Van de Velde
Flemish Minister of Welfare Hilde Crevits (CD&V) has lashed out at N-VA chairman Bart De Wever in an interview with ‘De Zondag’. “You can feel everything that he is going to play Calimero again. That is typical of De Wever,” he said.
According to Crevits, the Flemish government has done good work in recent years. “The coalition agreement has as good as been implemented and the budget is in order. Those are big pluses. But the perception is wrong. Perhaps we have lost ourselves in public arguments too often. Myself too. (silent for a moment) It’s not the first time I’ve said it, but I miss the discretion of the past. I feel like we were in campaign mode for five years. The N-VA also bears a major responsibility in this. I think they are not proud enough of what we do, and are too busy tearing down Vivaldi. Bart De Wever’s statement that we should all go under also stuck with me.”
Crevits therefore does not understand at all that De Wever wants to link the Flemish government formation to the federal one. “If you are so attached to Flanders, then you must try to form a Flemish government from day one. You don’t have to wait for federally for this. So no, I really don’t understand him, and I let him know that personally. And then those threats… You can feel everything that he is going to play Calimero again. That is typical of De Wever. We usually get along well, but I really think that’s a shame. (gets excited) You can’t keep doing that, can you? His party has a damned duty to form a government, including a federal one by the way. You can’t keep running away!”
Crevits agrees with De Wever that the federal government must have a Flemish majority. “I also say that in every meeting of my party. We can even express this more assertively. But whether this will succeed will depend on the will of the largest parties, and therefore also of N-VA. If De Wever starts to sideline himself again, it won’t work. And what is the alternative? Hold the country hostage for five years? That’s not what I want.”
Crevits also agrees with the state reform that N-VA is demanding. “Me too for my domain. By the way, I think that the financing law will lead to this. The French speakers will receive less money from next year and will therefore be forced to do so. N-VA no longer has any excuses.”