The leader of the group of French-speaking Christian democrats in the federal Parliament has criticised a tweet sent by the youth wing of Flemish nationalist party N-VA offering to sell Wallonia to US President Donald Trump.
The tweet from @jongnva reads: “Dear President @realDonaldTrump, one euro and Wallonia is yours. Call us. #GreenlandIsNotForSale”.
[embed]https://twitter.com/Jongnva/status/1164190996982317056[/embed]
The tweet refers to news earlier this week that Trump has cancelled a planned state visit to Denmark after prime minister Mette Frederiksen described his proposal for the US to buy Greenland as an “absurd idea”. Trump described her reaction as “nasty,” despite the fact that he had earlier tweeted a Photoshopped picture of a Trump Tower on a Greenland landscape with the caption, “I promise not to do this to Greenland”.
For Cathérine Fonck, leader of the CDH fraction in the parliament, the Jong N-VA tweet was “sad and egotistical” in its insulting treatment of Wallonia.
“So proud of their little tweet,” she posted (in French). “Flattering the anti-francophones, surfing on the withdrawal and rejection of others. Their vision of the future and society is so sad and selfish. I pity them.”
The tweet also drew a reaction, more ironic this time, from MR Alderman in Liege Christine Defraigne: “That says it all. But of course it's only young people making a joke, and the top of the party does not think that at all.”
N-VA youth responded along the same lines when questioned by Belga: “We had absolutely no political message with this and did not want to provoke anything,” a spokesperson said. “This was a joke, responding to current events, from a youth perspective.”
Alan Hope
The Brussels Times
