It’s a little “custom”, tradition: summer holidays, parliamentary or governmental holidays oblige, everyone engages, on the political class side, in one or the other “confidence” or “assessment” interview of the past months. This is the case of Prime Minister Open Vld Alexander De Croo, ultra-present in the written press this weekend post July 21. Judge in “la Capitale”, “l’Echo”, “Le Soir”, “De Standaard”, “Het Nieuwsblad”.
The opportunity to return to the latest agreement with Engieto precisely defend the latest compromises made in his Vivaldi coalition (in particular pensions, not without difficulty we will remember), necessarily also to evoke internal quarrels, to chase away rumors of possible political crises: “The last thing we need”.
But above all, Alexander De Croo says he is ready – repeatedly, not to say repetitively – in his interviews, to come back after the 2024 elections. to the constitution of the Vivaldi majority in 2020. He says he believes in it again and again. In the evening” : “Being Prime Minister is an honor, I will continue to exercise this function, and if I can do it after 2024, it will be my priority […]. My first ambition is and remains to be able to continue to help Belgians in Belgium”. In “Echo”, Premier of a Vivaldi 2? “Yes naturally. If the results of the election allow it. It’s a fantastic job and I repeat, for me, it’s not a stepping stone to something else”. And firmly deny dance “The Standard” rumors seeing him succeed Jens Stoltenberg at NATO. In the capital” : “Yes if the public thinks it was good and wants more. It will clearly be my first priority but it will be up to the Belgians to express themselves”.
Dance “Het Nieuwsblad” where he is asked if he is happy in his position: “I did not become Prime Minister to be personally happy. It is an incredible privilege to be able to do this. Especially in difficult times like this, when we have to protect people and prepare the country for the future. If I can do this and be rewarded in 2024, then maybe there will be some personal happiness. But to be happy in life, you actually have to do more than that.”
Alexander De Croo who does not say he is worried – “not yet” – in the face of polls that stagnate for his party around 10% even if his popularity is very real.
Still, it does not depend only on him, but on the voter and also on his partners, one or the other of whom could choose to “unplug“at one point seeing it in a better interest. And we also know that other candidates have also already declared themselves ready to take on the post of Prime Minister. They think about it and “not just shaving“. Starting with a certain Paul Magnette, president of the PS, who, several months ago, already spoke out on the air of the “if they ask me, I will assume my responsibilities”. The president of MR Georges-Louis Bouchez does not hide either that he would see himself well at 16, rue de la loi.
To see what the result of the election will give in 2024. Even before. Knowing also that, from the start of the school year, complex issues will return: labor market reform, tax reform, budgetary discussions for 2023 and 2024 that Alexander De Croo would like to combine to precisely anticipate a pre-electoral climate, all against a backdrop of social discontent, energy crisis and purchasing power still at half mast…