MR pushes Wilmès as prime minister, and gets support from Ecolo

The MR thinks Sophie Wilmès should stay in the ’16’. “During a difficult period, she fulfilled her position constructively and interestingly,” says Ecolo co-chair Rajae Maouane.

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Next week, the battle for the premiership will start. The only reason that preformer Egbert Lachaert (Open VLD) plays extensions for another week with co-reformer Conner Rousseau is that the knot around the premiership has not yet been taken.

The French-speaking liberals are already throwing everything in the fight for an extension of Sophie Wilmès in the Sixteen. “In any other country in the world there would not even be a discussion about the retention of Sophie Wilmès as prime minister,” said MR chairman Geoges-Louis Bouchez on RTL this morning. ‘In the opinion polls she is by far the most popular on the French-speaking side. It would be good to follow the population from time to time. ‘ He also points out that the left-wing MPs would be the majority in Vivaldi construction. “So there must be guarantees for the liberals that their policy choices will be heard.”

MR vice-chairman Jean-Luc Crucke broke in this morning The Seventh Day also a lance for an extended mandate for the first female prime minister of our country. An argument to which Ecolo is also not insensitive. ‘There is enough talent at Groen en Ecolo to provide a prime minister. If there can be consensus on a green prime minister, we would be happy to deliver it, ”said Ecolo co-chair Rajae Maouane.

But she also sees Wilmès in the ’16’. ‘During a difficult period she fulfilled her function constructively and interestingly. Here is a feminist speaking: it is good to have more women in responsible positions. We see that countries that are run by women, get out of the crisis better, ‘she added.

But PS chairman Paul Magnette is also an explicit candidate to lead the Vivaldi government. And his Dutch-speaking colleague Conner Rousseau emphasized this morning in ‘De Zevende Dag’ op Eén that the prime minister normally comes from the largest political family, without however vetoing other candidates.

Although the Flemish liberals are keeping a low profile, it is an open secret that Alexander De Croo is enthusiastic about leading the Vivaldicoalition. What pleads for him is that the last three prime ministers were French-speaking – Elio Di Rupo, Charles Michel and Sophie Wilmès – and that the Flemish underrepresentation in the coalition can be compensated in this way. The Liberals are the second largest family.

Also CD&V is not (yet) putting forward anyone. Chairman Joachim Coens has indicated several times that his party is ‘perfectly placed to make the synthesis.’ The name of Deputy Prime Minister Koen Geens is sometimes mentioned, but various Vivaldi partners doubt whether he will be able to radiate the renewal of the project sufficiently. ‘We are a very responsible party. The totality of the picture is important to us. We have to see that we are recognizable in matters that matter to us, ‘Coens said on Radio 1 on Saturday morning.

There is of course also a strategic side to pushing forward candidates for the prime minister. If you have a candidate, you can always withdraw it, but then the other parties will have to pay a price for it in one way or another.

In this video we explain the vocabulary of this government formation:

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