The formation of a Flemish government appears set to be jump-started after the leader of the largest regional party on Monday reached out to potential coalition partners for talks, snubbing the far-right Vlaams Belang (VB).
Bart de Wever, leader of the nationalist Nieuw-Vlaamse Alliantie (N-VA), published a memorandum on the priorities of the incoming government on Monday, in which he tackled issues like employment and climate change.
The memorandum was addressed as an invitation for coalition talks to the liberal Open Vld party and the Christian-Democrats of CD&V.
Shortly after the document was published, media reports emerged that current N-VA Interior Minister Jan Jambon had been appointed to lead the formation, putting him on track to become the future Minister-President of Flanders.
Excluded from the process, VB chairman Tom Van Grieken said De Wever had "missed a historic opportunity," calling the right-wing leader out for ignoring the "deafening signal" from voters.
The leader of the far-right party, which became the second-largest party in the region after the elections in May, also said that the future formation would be "the coalition of losers" which would give voters "more of the same."
Representatives of the Open Vld and the CD&V are expected to give the green light to the negotiations in the course of Monday.
Gabriela Galindo
The Brussels Times
