Despite the fact that Bart De Wever (N-VA) is now the Prime Minister of Belgium, the Flemish nationalist still supports the idea of a reunification of Belgium and the Netherlands, he said on Dutch radio this week.
De Wever has been Prime Minister of Belgium since February 2025, but he is well-known for his outspoken views on greater autonomy for Flanders. Speaking on the Dutch radio programme Sven op 1, however, he stressed that he was not advocating for dividing Belgium, but for the reunification of the Low Countries.
"I am not talking about detaching Flanders, I am talking about the reunification of the entire Southern Netherlands. However, the enthusiasm in the south is perhaps somewhat less than in the north," he said.
'Greatest disaster that has ever befallen us'
Centuries ago, what is now Belgium – but also Luxembourg and small parts of France and Germany – and the Netherlands were united as the so-called Seventeen Provinces, but the fall of Antwerp in 1585 during the Eighty Years' War temporarily put an end to this.
Previously, De Wever also argued in favour of a reunification with the Netherlands – as the next step after confederalism. At the time, he spoke in his capacity as leader of the Flemish right-wing and separatist N-VA party.
He also indicated several years ago that he does not view a possible reunification as "something romantic," but that he approaches it primarily from an economic and rational perspective. "The world is getting bigger, the economic players are getting bigger, so you have to scale up."
Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof (left), Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever (middle) and NATO chief and former Dutch PM Mark Rutte. Credit: Belga
Now, he repeated that statement. The big difference with the last time, however, is that he has since been promoted to Prime Minister of Belgium. "I never change my convictions, only my position, and then you have to be more careful of what you say."
"As Prime Minister, this is a statement I cannot make," De Wever said. "But as a politician and a human being, I am convinced that the separation of the Netherlands in the 16th century is the greatest disaster that has ever befallen us."
Previously, he also said that if he could die "as a Southern Dutchman," he would die happier than as a Belgian.
The Brussels Times contacted De Wever's cabinet for a reaction, but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
