Belgium: three-day strike against government plans
Belgium has been paralysed since Sunday evening by a nationwide strike against the government's reform plans. The work stoppage is expected to continue until Wednesday evening. The multi-party coalition had agreed on various measures to reduce the budget deficit by 9.2 billion euros, including increasing VAT on certain products and services and imposing cuts on pensions and public spending.
Always skimping, always borrowing
The agreement on a budget compromise is not without its risks, De Standaard points out:
“In the best-case scenario the deficit will be 4.2 percent in 2029, a good 30 billion, well above the target of 3 percent. De Wever need not fear the opposition, but rather his government's drive to implement everything, including some large-scale social experiments. And he must fear a sluggish German and European economy, crises abroad, Trump and Putin, because his budget remains in the red. And so he too is becoming a typical Belgian prime minister: always skimping, always borrowing, never having anything to spare.”
One down, a long way to go
What happens next remains unclear, Le Soir points out:
“Is everything going well in the brave new world of the Arizona coalition? That remains to be seen: many of the measures announced still have to prove their worth, while the structural reforms (pensions, health insurance, unemployment) must be implemented successfully and with respect for those they impact, but they must also deliver the financial, economic and human results that are currently being trumpeted. For now, however, the government team has achieved a remarkable victory in the form of a snub to the trade unions. ... Where will all this lead?”
Gritty and tenacious governance
The Süddeutsche Zeitung sees light and shadow:
“There are good reasons to doubt whether Bart De Wever's conservative blood-sweat-and-tears agenda will help Belgium recover. It will mean many people lose money at first, and with that, their spending power. What does stand out, however, is the premier's political grit and tenacity. He does what he said he would do before the election. He has no qualms about threatening to step down if he can't push through his policies. He doesn't gloss over the hard times ahead for the population. Here, at least, Bart De Wever can only be commended for his old-fashioned style of governance.”