Federal Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke has criticised US President Donald Trump, calling him an “adversary of Europe.”
Speaking to around 500 Vooruit supporters gathered in Leuven’s Martyrs’ Square on Labour Day, Vandenbroucke accused Trump of opposing Europe’s welfare states and collaborative approach to democracy and solidarity.
“He detests the welfare states we’ve built here, the way we cooperate in Europe, and our view of democracy and solidarity,” he said.
The minister argued that Trump’s administration had gone beyond mere rhetoric by actively undermining Europe’s pharmaceutical policies.
“Trump’s government believes we pay too little to the pharmaceutical industry for new medicines in Europe and wants prices here to rise, claiming it would make drugs cheaper in the US,” he argued.
In Belgium, once a medication is approved for reimbursement, it becomes affordable for both poor and wealthy citizens, Vandenbroucke said.
“This is why we negotiate relentlessly with pharmaceutical companies to keep their prices as low as possible,” he added, earning strong applause from the crowd.
Vandenbroucke also stressed the importance of balanced budgets to preserve the country’s solidarity-based systems.
He described Belgium’s capital gains tax as a crucial step forward but stressed the need to go further. “Our proposed millionaire’s tax is robust and straightforward, ensuring fair contributions from those with significant wealth,” the minister concluded.
