CD&V leader Sammy Mahdi said on Sunday he was disappointed by Vooruit’s decision last week to put the brakes on federal budget talks, and urged the five coalition partners to show responsibility and reach a deal quickly.
Speaking on De Zevende Dag on VRT and on commercial broadcaster VTM, the Flemish Christian Democrat leader said Belgium could not afford to wait any longer for a budget agreement.
He said the country’s interest burden currently amounts to €1,300 per person, warning that this would rise to €2,000 by the end of the legislature and to €3,000 by 2035 unless policy changes are made.
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In light of those figures, Mahdi said the governing parties must regain a sense of responsibility.
He directed particular criticism at his socialist counterpart, Conner Rousseau.
“Everyone knows that the increased reimbursement scheme in healthcare will have to be adjusted. Everyone knows that you cannot receive care for one euro,” he said.
He added that action was also needed on unemployment and long-term sickness. “When I hear that people on long-term sickness are in Thailand or Turkey, we have to accept that profound change is needed,” he said.
Mahdi warned that if left-wing parties refuse to act and right-wing parties refuse to ask more of the broadest shoulders, then working middle-class people and pensioners will end up paying the price. “For us, that is not acceptable,” he said.
He said the federal government should reconvene quickly.
For now, the various proposals on the table are being examined by inter-cabinet working groups. “But the Prime Minister controls the agenda,” Mahdi said.
