According to political scientist Nicolas Bouteca (UGent), the community division within CD&V threatens to become a difficult issue. “You feel that there is tension within that party,” he says in an interview with weekly magazine ‘t Pallieterke.
CD&V Member of Parliament Hendrik Bogaert regularly advocates more Flemish self-government on Twitter. Although he has ended up on the sidelines within his party, the “older wing” of CD&V, which includes Koen Geens, Wouter Beke and Servais Verherstraeten, still expresses a lot of Flemish affinity. At least, that is what political scientist Nicolas Bouteca says in an interview with weekly magazine ‘t Pallieterke.
Federal constituency
Opposing that pro-Flemish wing within CD&V are also a number of younger players, including chairman Sammy Mahdi, who are less concerned with state reform. “They tend to think in terms of re-federalizing. There is also enthusiasm for a federal electoral district among a number of younger CD&Vs,” Bouteca outlines. “You feel that there is a tension within that party.”
It is difficult for Bouteca to estimate which direction will eventually prevail. “The ‘Flemish-minded’ CD&V’ers, such as Benjamin Dalle and Hilde Crevits, still have an important voice within the party, but it is no longer the party of a few decades ago that strives for more Flanders. That is no longer an objective of CD&V at the moment,” it sounds.
Bouteca says he is curious what position CD&V will take, because a community program of the party is long overdue. “I don’t know what exactly CD&V stands for at Community level. That is why I would like to see a substantive conference at which clear positions are taken,” he concludes.
Read the full interview with political scientist Nicolas Bouteca below:
2023-06-10 13:40:44
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