Defence Minister Theo Francken is not required to resign but must help maintain calm and communicate honestly, according to CD&V leader Sammy Mahdi.
Mahdi made the remarks on Sunday during an interview with VTM NIEUWS, amid criticism of Francken’s handling of last year’s drone threat and the subsequent purchase of anti-drone systems. He acknowledged that voices of dissent had emerged within the governing coalition but dismissed calls for Francken’s resignation as excessive.
Instead, Mahdi emphasised the importance of clear and truthful communication from the Defence Minister to address concerns and restore trust.
Meanwhile, Budget Minister Vincent Van Peteghem, also from the CD&V party, is working on a system to retrospectively review Defence procurement projects. The new procedure aims to assess whether prices were in line with market standards and whether the purchases were appropriate choices.
