Belgium's main socialist union, the FGTB, has called for the resignation of federal Employment Minister David Clarinval, accusing him of making "xenophobic" and "false" statements about the origins of people at risk of losing unemployment benefits.
The controversy erupted after Clarinval claimed in interviews with Sudinfo and RTL that "57% of jobseekers at risk of exclusion are non-Belgians." The FGTB said the minister's interpretation of the data was misleading and based on an incorrect understanding of the term "foreign origin."
"For Mr Clarinval, having one parent of foreign origin is enough to stop being considered Belgian. By that logic, even King Philippe, Romelu Lukaku or Stromae wouldn’t be Belgian," the union said in a statement.
Figures from the Crossroads Bank for Social Security (BCSS), which Clarinval cited, show that over 90% of the unemployed in Belgium are Belgian nationals. Sudinfo, which initially published the figure, has since corrected the article and issued an apology.
The comments have caused unease within the federal government. Maxime Prévot, deputy prime minister for Les Engagés, called Clarinval's remarks "an unacceptable shortcut," saying some politicians "confuse being of foreign origin with not being Belgian."
Parties from the opposition, including PS, Ecolo and PTB, have announced they will summon the minister to explain his statements before parliament.
