Mouvement Réformateur (MR) President Georges-Louis Bouchez expressed support for Prime Minister Bart De Wever’s coalition government at a dinner hosted by UNIZO in Maarkedal, East Flanders, on Wednesday evening.
However, he voiced his opposition to a proposed increase in Value Added Tax (VAT) discussed during recent budget negotiations.
The dinner was an informal event organised by the entrepreneurs’ association. Bouchez had been invited in April and did not withdraw his attendance, even after it emerged that Prime Minister De Wever was planning to present his case to the King on Thursday.
Although not billed as a press conference, the gathering drew numerous journalists eager to question the MR leader about the future of the government, budget discussions, and concerns surrounding drone threats.
Bouchez dismissed speculation that De Wever’s impending meeting with the King meant the government’s work was nearing completion. “We stand fully behind the Prime Minister and the federal government in seeking solutions,” he said. “The mere fact that a lot has been written does not mean we are unclear about our stance. Our position is straightforward: a good budget, but not with excessive taxes.”
He defended the MR’s role in the budget negotiations, asserting that the party had made counterproposals and was not “blocking” progress.
“I have the right to reject something I find disproportionate,” he explained. “But that doesn’t mean I am obstructing everything. Discussions belong at the negotiation table, not in the media.”
Bouchez also dismissed any suggestion that the government might be collapsing. “For the MR, it’s not an option for this government not to last until 2029," he stressed. "There will always be a government until the next elections, and that’s what I am working towards.”
