A government, it’s a start

Published on 6 December 2011 at 13:24

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“At last,” exclaims the front page of De Standaard: the Di Rupo I government is to be sworn in on 6 December, in the wake of 540 long days of crisis and negotiations. In a comment piece, the Flemish daily deplores the fact that the team that will take office along with the Prime Minister, Francophone socialist Elio Di Rupo, “is barely different from the one that preceded it (...) There is only one new appointment among the nine Francophone members: the Prime Minister himself.” But the advantage “of all these veterans,” is their “extensive experience,” points out the newspaper.

Rival dailyDe Morgen enthusiastically remarks that Belgians will no longer “have to explain an incomprehensible situation to non-Belgians: why, in the heart of Europe, so much energy has been wasted on an ‘excessively charged’ linguistic conflict.” As for the Prime Minister, “the least that can be said is that hopes in Di Rupo are not riding high,” because the new government leader “will do more than any other to put the brakes on socio-economic reforms.”

In the Francophone press, La Libre Belgique shares the point of view voiced by De Standaard, while Le Soir welcomes with “hope but also with realism” the new government made up of 12 ministers (6 Flemings and 6 Francophones) and nine secretaries of state, which is mainly composed of liberals:

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The initial reaction is an immense sigh of relief, now that Belgium has found a way out of the most profound crisis in its history. However, this is followed by a touch of annoyance: how did it take them 20 hours to share out 18 ministerial portfolios? [the final count is: one Prime Minister, six Francophone ministers, six Flemish Ministers and six secretaries of state] [...]

Do we have to remind these 13 men and six women who are going to reform the country that time is running out. Two and half years is a very short period in which to clean up public finances, adapt our socio-economic model to the realities of the 21st century and implement the reform of the state. Suffice it to say that if each decision results in a one or more sleepless nights for the Di Rupo government, failure will be inevitable.

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