Bart De Wever has outlined his vision for restoring prosperity to Belgium and Europe in a new 136-page essay “Over Welvaart” (about prosperity) published on Saturday.
In “Over Welvaart”, De Wever reflects on the history of Western prosperity and proposes a model inspired by Singapore, one of Asia’s economic “dragons”. The essay emphasises financial stability, low taxes, innovation, and equitable prosperity as key principles for success.
The former president of the N-VA has prioritised fiscal reforms as the cornerstone of this and the next legislative term, warning of the urgent need for change to avoid stagnation. For inspiration, he has looked beyond Europe and America, focusing instead on the example of Singapore.
De Wever praises the accomplishments of Singapore’s founding leader, Lee Kuan Yew, who transformed the city-state into one of the world’s richest countries. He highlights Lee’s approach, which combined a hybrid political system with a culture of order, respect, national pride, and a robust fight against communism, corruption, and drug abuse. These values, alongside Lee’s four key rules—balanced budgets, fair prosperity, low taxes, and innovation—align with De Wever’s vision for Belgium and Europe.
In October 2025, speaking to students in Ghent, De Wever painted a bleak picture of Belgium’s challenges, citing factors like an ageing population, falling productivity, rising social expenditures, and the growing number of long-term illnesses. In his essay, he expands these concerns to Europe as a whole, calling for significant reform to stop abuses of the welfare system and strengthen the foundations of prosperity.
He also delivers a sharp critique of leftist policies, with a particular focus on the PS (Francophone Socialist Party). De Wever warns about the possible electoral resurgence of the PS and its perceived links to overspending, which he views as a root cause of the country’s issues. He cautions that such a development could ignite discussions around state reform and lead to political paralysis similar to that seen in Brussels.
In his push to restore financial stability, De Wever aligns himself with the legacies of Christian Democratic leaders Gaston Eyskens, Wilfried Martens, and Jean-Luc Dehaene. However, the essay ultimately broadens its scope beyond Belgium, advocating for a revival of the “Plats Pays”—the Low Countries—and their 17th-century golden age.
“Let us create a new golden era so that this region can once again serve as a beacon of progress and shape the course of world history,” the nationalist leader concludes. He deliberately excludes any mention of Belgium or Brussels in his closing remarks, instead focusing on regional and continental aspirations: “For Flanders. For Wallonia. For Europe. For prosperity.”
“Over Welvaart” is published by Borgerhoff & Lamberigts and can is sold for €20. It is not the first time Belgian Prime Minister publishes his own books. This essay follows a series of other works like "Over woke" (about woke) and "Over identiteit" (about identity).
