Belgium cannot handle a political crisis, and needs resolute action from the government, opposition MP Hans Bonte (SP) said on Sunday. Mr Bonte, also mayor of Vilvorde, said he would not be asking Ministers to quit following Tuesday’s attacks in Brussels.
Mr Bonte also suggested designating a Commissioner for Brussels in the government, to ‘bring order’ to the capital. This was while appearing on the VRT-television program De Zevende Dag. ‘This commissioner would closely follow anyone who has been radicalised’, the Socialist MP said. He called for ‘political serenity’. ‘Let’s give the country what he needs: efficiently follow our own rules’, Mr Bonte said.
Christian Democrat and Flemish New Alliance MPs, two major federal parties, called for changes in the legal system, in particular conditional release for some convicted defendants.
‘Maybe the Sentence Application Tribunal didn’t have all the information it should have had in the case of Ibrahim El Bakraoui (one of the three terrorists responsible for the attack at the Brussels-National airport: he went on the run after his conditional release in 2014). We think the legislation must be made tougher’, said federal MP Sophie De Wit (New Flemish Alliance). Her colleague Raf Terwingen (Christian Democrats) said toughening up the execution of sentences was planned by the Justice Minister Koen Geens.
(Source: Belga)
