During the formation of the Flemish government last year, the N-VA had explicitly asked the Open VLD and the CD&V to mount a government with the Vlaams Belang, said Friday the former president of the Open VLD, Gwendolyn Rutten.
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LPS president Elio Di Rupo does not see his party joining a coalition with the N-VA, especially now that, according to Gwendolyn Rutten (Open VLD) and party leader Theo Francken, the N-VA was serious as for the formation of a government with the Vlaams Belang. “This story of the Vlaams Belang confirms what Paul Magnette and I have feared for some time. We didn’t know it was going that far, ”said Elio Di Rupo on Monday in De Standaard.
Gwendolyn Rutten, former president of Open VLD, said on Friday that during the formation of the Flemish government last year, the N-VA had explicitly asked the Open VLD and the CD&V to join a government with the Vlaams Belang . They would be “richly rewarded” for this, according to Rutten.
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For Elio Di Rupo, this shows that cooperation with the N-VA will be very difficult. “This confirms what Paul Magnette and I have been worried about for some time. We didn’t know it was going that far. If the N-VA wants to collaborate with Vlaams Belang, then it is completely unthinkable that we enter into a government with them. “
The Vlaams Belang is a party that is “basically” racist, says Di Rupo. “Whenever such a far right party comes to power, you find that basic human rights, individual freedoms and unions are severely restricted. I fully understand that Gwendolyn Rutten immediately said no to this. ”
In the past, the PS and the N-VA have never found a way to work together, says Di Rupo. “Bart (De Wever) knew very well what was essential to convince us. But he gave no encouraging response. If they really wanted to work with us, they would have done it differently. They would then have asked us to do things to reassure their own activists. ”
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