Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Labor Pierre-Yves Dermagne (PS). — © Kristof Vadino
Newspaper contract
Discussions about the contract for newspaper distribution within the core have come to nothing. The government will pick up the thread again on Monday, led by the PS.
The future of the newspaper contract, in which the government provides subsidies for printing paper newspapers, has not yet been completely sealed. The matter was discussed again within the core on Friday afternoon, without result.
The arrangement, which provides support for the distribution for another three years, is again under pressure after lobbying. Particularly on the French-speaking side, questions are being raised about the support for the “white zones”. These are sparsely populated areas where newspaper distribution is expensive. They would not receive sufficient financial support, it sounds. Furthermore, negotiations between Bpost and the publishers are said to be difficult. The publishers fear that too high a cost price is being set for future distribution. The same fear exists among non-profit organizations who will see their support dry up after 2026 when they send out member magazines.
The file will be further processed on Monday. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Labor Pierre-Yves Dermagne (PS) would then put a proposal on the table that would serve as a basis for further discussions. There would be little appetite among the Liberals to revise the entire arrangement.