Bart De Wever, Mayor of Antwerp and leader of the Flemish nationalist N-VA party, wants to open up the debate in Wallonia and stand candidates during next year’s federal elections. "We have made some preparations," he admitted during VRT’s Sunday political show. "I don't think we are going to pile up the seats in Wallonia," he conceded. Mr De Wever mainly wants to convey a message: "classical socialism is being paid for by the Flemings."
Daily Het Laatste Nieuws was first to report that the Flemish nationalists will field candidates in Wallonia in the June elections. Speaking on VRT TV the N-VA leader made no precise commitments: N-VA has been making preparations he says. He now wants to fuel the debate in Wallonia, with French-speaking Flemings or Walloons on the N-VA election lists.
"It is not my intention to break through there, but Wallonia has to be liberated from the PS. There you will find classic socialism with the Fleming paying the bills. This is the truth that is not being spoken. We need to get rid of financial transfers from Flanders to Wallonia. The current system keeps us poor," he continued.
How does Mr De Wever see his election campaign? "My policies are centre-right policies, to make it clear to Vlaams Belang voters that I get your message and share your frustrations. But certainly in Belgium this leads to nothing: if you vote for (the far right) Vlaams Belang, you are preparing the way for Vivaldi II (a repeat of the outgoing coalition)."
So how does Mr De Wever see this Vivaldi II materialising? The N-VA leader points to the Netherlands. "The Netherlands is a democracy, Belgium is not. In the Netherlands, Geert Wilders could come to power given the results. Wallonia is 80 per cent far left. They won't sit in the same room as Vlaams Belang, let alone negotiate with them," De Wever explains.
"This means that if you want to give Vivaldi a second outing, many MPs in southern Belgium hope Vlaams Belang will score well in Flanders: the far right won't be able to use its seats anyway. You can put Vivaldi II in place with a third of the Flemish vote."
How does De Wever position himself on the chessboard after the elections? "The only thing I still want to negotiate on the federal level is confederalism," says the N-VA president.
"Only, the voter feels a long crisis is on the cards. And yes, we have to bridge that with an emergency cabinet, a technocratic and small government. You need to take massive action to shore up the budget. I am prepared to do that. If I can do that, I want to take every responsibility. Then I will leave the mayoralty and join the federal government in Brussels. I’m not available for anything else."
Does the N-VA stand a chance? Francophone journalist Alain Gerlache (public broadcaster RTBF) argues that in 2019 the far right Vlaams Belang also had lists in Wallonia.
"Nobody in southern Belgium knows what confederalism means. A debate would be interesting. It is a pity that Mr De Wever refuses interviews in Wallonia, even though he is perfectly bilingual. A missed opportunity. N-VA lists could attract right-wing MR voters as well as protest votes that would normally go to the far-right Chez Nous. It would be a strengthening of the Walloon left," Gerlache believes.
Under the N-VA’s confederal plans Belgium will consist of two states, Flanders and Wallonia that will each decide what they still do together at the federal level.