Prime Minister Alexander De Croo confirmed to the Federal Parliament on Thursday that a charter will be drawn up on how government ministers should act in relation to public companies.
De Croo revealed that this code of conduct was going to be drawn up by GUBERNA, the Belgian institute tasked with maintaining good governance within enterprises.
He stated that such a charter would ensure that public companies do not become “a playground for political parties” and clarify “how the government should behave during a meeting” with these companies.
His announcement came while he was responding to questions over the Bpost scandal, which is currently in turmoil for over-inflating its profit margins and a potential conflict of interest for Deputy Prime Minister Petra De Sutter.
Two of her advisors were found to have still been on Bpost’s payroll, with one of them having even argued for fewer cuts to the company’s state aid while working for De Sutter. The Prime Minister maintained his confidence in De Sutter despite the controversy surrounding her cabinet hires.
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De Croo also was drawn into a debate with the far-right independent MP Jean-Marie Dedecker, who had suggested that the company board could have warned the political authorities of any ongoing issues, especially as they are appointed by the Federal Government.
In response, De Croo defended Bpost's directors claiming that they had been the first to raise the alarm bells over the company's problems.
