The Flemish Government failed to reach an agreement on energy support, the drinking water plan, and budget revisions on Monday evening.
According to the cabinet of Minister-President Matthias Diependaele (N-VA), "constructive work continued, but the positions were too far apart to reach an agreement this evening." The Council of Ministers will review the dossiers again next Monday.
On Monday evening, the Diependaele government discussed three dossiers on which no agreement could be reached last Friday.
One such dossier concerns Flemish energy support. Like the Federal Government, the Flemish Government has been weighing the measures that can be taken to alleviate the energy crisis.
After weeks of heated debate, the Federal Government reached a difficult agreement on €80 million in measures last week. But the issue is also difficult at the Flemish level.
Minister of Energy Hans Bonte (Vooruit) has already referred to a 'disaster plan' several times, but the N-VA has long urged caution and wants to avoid "panic football." A contributing factor is that the N-VA is determined to safeguard the trajectory towards the promised budget balance in 2027.
With that objective in mind, N-VA is trying to avoid as much additional spending as possible, although the socialists are confident that the proposed measures would not burden the budget.
Even though the various dossiers are linked, the negotiations reportedly stalled on Monday evening primarily over the drinking water plan of Minister of Environment Jo Brouns (CD&V).
Vooruit, in particular, is said to have dug its heels in on this matter. The party itself merely states that it "fights for clean and healthy drinking water."
The drinking water plan is intended, among other things, to address drinking water pollution in West Flanders. The draft plan had previously come under fire for opening the door to a longer, temporary increase in the standard.
Further consultations regarding the three dossiers will take place between the cabinets in the coming days.
The Flemish Council of Ministers is set to reassess the dossiers next Monday.
