Bart De Wever (N-VA) was sworn in as the Mayor of Antwerp for the third time on Monday morning, in a ceremony before the provincial governor Cathy Berx.
Immediately after the ceremony, he travelled to Brussels, where negotiations for forming a federal government were set to resume at noon.
“The devil is always in the details, and it is at the end that he appears,” he remarked concerning the negotiations.
“There is no greater honour for me than being the mayor of this city. One never gets used to walking through the doors of City Hall,” said Bart De Wever. “Here in Antwerp, I can do my best work. At the federal level, the stable still needs cleaning. In Antwerp, we’ve already done our homework,” he added.
Saying farewell to the mayoral sash for the call of federal duty would be "bitter," continued the N-VA leader, who stated he would only lead the government if he "can do something useful," adding: "I will not compromise on my ambitions."
Finally, Bart De Wever refused to comment on the fact that MR leader Georges-Louis Bouchez left the negotiations for an interview over the weekend.
"I am a facilitator, not a moralist," he reminded. According to the Antwerp mayor, Bouchez’s departure did not negatively impact the negotiations.
