As we told you on Thursday evening, the Vivaldian ministers have an appointment in Brakel, in East Flanders, for a barbecue in the charming residence of Alexander De Croo.
After the incendiary exit of the Secretary of State for the Budget Eva De Bleeker (Open Vld) on Thursday, directed against the Socialists and the Minister of Pensions Karine Lalieux, the partners of Vivaldi will try to calm things down and move forward. “I hope that the wine and the good meat will do some good,” said the president of the Open Vld Egbert Lachaert on Friday morning at the microphone of Bel RTL. Claiming that Eva De Bleeker’s exit had not been discussed at party level, he hinted that an agreement on the 4 elements of pension reform that are on the table “could be achieved on Saturday”.
Among these elements, the question of the quantity of effective work that one must have stored in order to have access to the minimum pension. Egbert Lachaert repeated the position of the Liberals: “at least 20 years” of effective work to access it. But that doesn’t have to be full-time work, he adds, because there’s a willingness to accommodate the many workers (many women, among others) who pursue part-time careers.
The Prime Minister wants to obtain a summer deal (pensions, employment, etc.) for July 21, National Day. His cabinet has asked the Deputy Prime Ministers to release their Saturdays by then so that they can meet in kern and advance the hottest issues.