Frustrated to the core, N-VA leader Valerie Van Peel resigned on Tuesday morning after her colleagues voted down her bill to give asbestos victims more rights for the fourth time in eight years. “This is the end of parliament, this is the end of politics.”
What preceded
The asbestos fund was established in 2007. This not only provides information about the dangers of asbestos and how to deal with it, but it compensates and guides all asbestos victims. Victims who turn to the Asbestos Fund for compensation are no longer allowed to take the producers to court afterwards. Van Peel wanted to correct this, but her bill met with liberal resistance. Four times in eight years now. Groen and Ecolo are now also working on a bill that is less far-reaching than Van Peel’s proposal.
“Just pretend you’re still members of parliament. You should be ashamed of yourselves.” Valerie Van Peel, former vice-chairman of N-VA, clearly could not stomach the fact that her bill on the asbestos file was voted down for the fourth time in eight years. The politician wanted to make it possible for asbestos victims to also initiate legal proceedings against an asbestos company after they have already received compensation from the Asbestos Fund. But her proposal only received the support of Vlaams Belang and PVDA. Van Peel could not run away from his colleagues on the Social Affairs Committee fast enough.
How difficult is this day for you?
Van Peel: “It is especially a difficult day for asbestos victims. People who saw their loved ones die from asbestos and some who are now ill themselves. They are out in the cold. Today they witnessed political games for the fourth time in eight years. It will also be a difficult day for the colleagues who voted down my bill. They must look in the mirror tonight and realize that their arm has been twisted by Open VLD. They are not worthy of the title of representative of the people. Representatives vote in good conscience. That is clearly not the case here.”
What is the asbestos file actually about? What did you want to change?
“With my bill I wanted to give the victims of asbestos more rights. They may be able to contact the Asbestos Fund for compensation, but they are no longer allowed to take the producers to court. A settlement that Verhofstadt made in 2007 after heavy lobbying from the sector and which silenced the victims. As a result of this arrangement, asbestos producers do not have to pay more money than other companies into the asbestos fund, even though they are the polluters and the pathogens. Rest assured that they will be popping the bottles of champagne at Eternit today. They are once again politically protected. Nearly twenty years later, the same long arms are still holding back from having to pay the costs, being held accountable and being convicted. Can we end this interview here? I must stop being right.”
“Rest assured that they will be popping the bottles of champagne at Eternit today. They are once again politically protected”
Valerie Van Peel
Representative of the N-VA
Why is the asbestos file such a symbolic file? You partly tie your fate to it.
“The bucket was already full. but this file is the final straw. It encompasses everything that is wrong with politics. It is only about the politicians and their positions and the parties that want to survive. This is symbolic for me because this file means the end of politics and the end of parliament. It is no longer about the content.”
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You already announced your resignation in June 2022. By then you had already had your fill of pounding against immovable walls, and you yourself described doing politics as no longer healthy. Can you still finish this ride after today?
“I will try to complete the commission of inquiry into abuse in the Church.”
Why do you say ‘try’? After today, is it uncertain whether you will persevere?
“I have always done my job. It has also been difficult for years. I have never been sick or absent a day, and that will not be the case in the coming months. Although it will remain difficult until the last day.”
What are your plans after politics?
“To this day I am a politician. I will remain so until the last day of my political career. But then it’s up to the others. I did my best, now it’s over. We’ll see later what the future brings. I don’t want to say much more about that. Then it becomes all about the politician again and that is exactly what I don’t want anymore. Politics should revolve around the people.”