Cries from the Wetstraat

Anyone who slips in the Wetstraat or ends up in the rumor mill will sooner or later end up in this section.

Racism (1)

Is Tom Van Grieken, chairman of Vlaams Belang, a racist? “Yes,” said Melissa Depraetere, chairman of Vooruit. “I find it remarkable that that question is still being asked,” she told De Tijd this weekend. “He does nothing but spread hate, turn people against each other and blame migrants for everything.”

She makes a distinction between the statements of former Antwerp alderman Tom Meeuws and the party line of Vooruit, “which has achieved the most in the fight against racism”. In contrast, she states that Vlaams Belang “proclaims everywhere that an organized repopulation is underway”. “That is not a racist statement, that is unadulterated racism. So the comparison is not valid.”

Blue and red

Gwendolyn Rutten can join the many leaders of Open VLD who are going to the municipal elections under a different party name. After all, Open VLD does it in Aarschot together with Vooruit, under the name “Everyone Aarschot”, with Rutten as party leader.

The name refers to the fact that “everyone counts, no matter where someone comes from or what someone’s name is,” says Rutten with the new logo in the colors red and blue. The Flemish Minister of the Interior was also dressed in a red blouse and blue vest. Blue on the outside, red on the inside?

Racism (2)

“It is no problem that Vooruit attacks us politically, but gratuitously accusing someone of racism is a bridge too far.” Tom Van Grieken files a complaint for defamation and defamation against Vooruit chairman Depraetere for the above interview. “I will not allow myself and my party to be dismissed as racist,” responds the chairman of a party that was founded in 2004 after the Vlaams Blok was convicted of violations of the racism law. “This is where we draw a line in the sand. Depraetere would better first get her party in order and tackle the racism problem at Vooruit.”

Lots of foam

Minister of Finance Vincent Van Peteghem (CD&V) received his European colleagues and the governors of the European central banks in Ghent for an “Ecofin” summit. Because beer is an important part of our economy, he invited Christine Lagarde, president of the European Central Bank, to come and tap beers in the Yucca student café in Ghent. That was accompanied by foam. Lots of foam. “I like my own draft beer,” said Lagarde.

(With contributions from Jeroen Struys)