The Flemish Transport minister Ben Weyts (New Flemish Alliance) has said he hopes his federal counterpart Jacqueline Galant’s (MR) declaration was misunderstood. She claimed providing Brussels with a transport network was a priority. He hopes the liberal minister will change her position if she that’s what she really means “It’s good if we actually want to invest more in the RER, but Flanders mustn’t be held hostage during this time”, Mr Weyts said on Friday evening.
In an interview with l’Echo, Mrs Galant (MR) said she did not intend to talk about an RER for Liège, Charleroi and Antwerp before the situation in Brussels was sorted out. “In Belgium, we start everything at the same time, all the work. Things get confused, and it’s stupid” the liberal minister said.
Minister Weyts has said that talks between the different Flemish transport parties on this subject are going well. “At the moment, the Wegen agency in Verkeer (AWV) in Lijn, the Transport and public work department, SNCB and Infrabel are already talking with the Antwerp and Ghent councillors and my cabinet”, he explained. He added that he couldn’t see a reason not to go ahead with it straight away.
“If not, ours is not a federalism that finds a solution, but a federalism where jealousy takes over, and where some can’t stand to see Flanders progress faster than Brussels and Wallonia”, the Flemish nationalist said.
(Source: Belga)
