Belgian Politics & Elections: Federal, regional & EP elections on June 9, 2024

[Zinneke]

It doesn't work like that...
And PTB PVDA are not the pcf of yesteryear.

[PSOL]

It doesn't work like that...
And PTB PVDA are not the pcf of yesteryear.

It’s either that gambit or a deliberate minority government of one ideology where everyone else just provides support/confidence and supply. Since that seems further from the table, I mean what other option is there.

[Zinneke]

The King has refused their resignations. What a Chad.

[GlobeSoc]

does the king doing that even mean anything in the long term? if a coalition can't be formed it just sounds like prolonging the inevitable

[Zinneke]

does the king doing that even mean anything in the long term? if a coalition can't be formed it just sounds like prolonging the inevitable

To quote pre-formateur Rousseau : "if the king asks me to make the impossible possible, I will try to make the impossible possible". 2 day extension for just the same old drama.

He has clearly stated that he does not want to work with GLB and I don't blame him after the latter's despicable behaviour just to extend Wilmes and his 6 ministries further. I would also much rather work with De Wever too, who is a reliable partner, who understands government, this country and has perspective outside of his immediate ambition. Being a historian rather than a career politician must help in that respect.

But if Vivaldi is revived it will be with cdH in exchange of MR.

[LAKISYLVANIA]

Our country is such a joke

[CumbrianLefty]

Our country is such a joke

A post transferable to many places, these days.

[Zinneke]

Our country is such a joke

A post transferable to many places, these days.

I think we are reaching new heights of sickening cynicism here though, especially given the situation. People are losing their jobs, passing away and getting mental health problems while a bunch of politicians argue and leave the table, arrive late to meetings to annoy each other, don't follow protocol, go to the media and start talking themselves up (and that just describes Georges-Louis Bouchez, who is like a caricature of the post-modern political figure)...all for what? Who can get the most ministerial posts. I don't think any country in the developed West can seriously square up to Belgium's failures at a high political level. It's why I personally have taken it upon myself to consider vote extreme left next election even though I don't agree with a lot of the PVDA/PTB's world views. And, more seriously, I actually wouldn't care that much if VB and N-VA had a majority in Flanders. I would hope we can guarentee basic human rights but that's about it. The political class as a whole deserve to be snookered, to lose their jobs. This has been going on for 15 years now. I just checked a Belgian forum I frequent and its archive posts from 2007 - the same kabuki dance and media stunts (that time it was Leterme who was the master of disaster, with Reynders in close competition - somehow those guys have been promoted elsewhere). It has to stop, there has to be a complete overhaul of the parties and figures that dominate this country.

And I should add that small countries like ours with so many levels of power means you don't really get to choose your political class here. There is the illusion of choice of course, and many people are complicit with the partiocracy. But when Bouchez, who was high up on his list in Hainaut, is rejected by his own constituents but parachuted onto the Senate and elected party president, you can clearly see how he is imposed on us rather than the other way round. And the PS, cdH and ECOLO and all the equivalents across the linguistic border are no better. Only a massive electoral anomaly such as the extremes together winning an outright majority can maybe change this and signal the end of their charade, which is only kept alive by their complacency. After all, fail at the federal level? Here's a post at the regional level. Fail at the city council level? Off you go to the provincial level. Fail at regional level? Head of list at the European elections, or go get pickled in the party Think Tank. Its all a sham.  

[StateBoiler]

Our country is such a joke

A post transferable to many places, these days.

I think we are reaching new heights of sickening cynicism here though, especially given the situation. People are losing their jobs, passing away and getting mental health problems while a bunch of politicians argue and leave the table, arrive late to meetings to annoy each other, don't follow protocol, go to the media and start talking themselves up (and that just describes Georges-Louis Bouchez, who is like a caricature of the post-modern political figure)...all for what? Who can get the most ministerial posts. I don't think any country in the developed West can seriously square up to Belgium's failures at a high political level. It's why I personally have taken it upon myself to consider vote extreme left next election even though I don't agree with a lot of the PVDA/PTB's world views. And, more seriously, I actually wouldn't care that much if VB and N-VA had a majority in Flanders. I would hope we can guarentee basic human rights but that's about it. The political class as a whole deserve to be snookered, to lose their jobs. This has been going on for 15 years now. I just checked a Belgian forum I frequent and its archive posts from 2007 - the same kabuki dance and media stunts (that time it was Leterme who was the master of disaster, with Reynders in close competition - somehow those guys have been promoted elsewhere). It has to stop, there has to be a complete overhaul of the parties and figures that dominate this country.

And I should add that small countries like ours with so many levels of power means you don't really get to choose your political class here. There is the illusion of choice of course, and many people are complicit with the partiocracy. But when Bouchez, who was high up on his list in Hainaut, is rejected by his own constituents but parachuted onto the Senate and elected party president, you can clearly see how he is imposed on us rather than the other way round. And the PS, cdH and ECOLO and all the equivalents across the linguistic border are no better. Only a massive electoral anomaly such as the extremes together winning an outright majority can maybe change this and signal the end of their charade, which is only kept alive by their complacency. After all, fail at the federal level? Here's a post at the regional level. Fail at the city council level? Off you go to the provincial level. Fail at regional level? Head of list at the European elections, or go get pickled in the party Think Tank. Its all a sham.  

Verhofstedt to my outsider point of view always represented that. He was no longer Belgian PM and then became head of the liberals at EU Parliament. Guy named Olli Rehn challenged him for head of ALDE and Verhofstedt's actions were geared to negotiate to steer clear from having the election challenging him for head of ALDE, which is massive eye rolling. That and European Parliament politics seems to in general be a way of politicians ensuring they have a job after losing at home.

Anyway, how many more years does Belgium have until de-integration? What's the catalyst or individual or group that makes the move.

[PSOL]

Our country is such a joke

I believe the proper term in the internet meme space is that Belgium is a “non-country”

[Estrella]

hahahahaha

"The blue friends will have to get down on their knees, open their mouths and swallow whatever it takes. We will break them in opposition."

https://twitter.com/AhmedLaaouej/status/1308281382494285826?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%...

1. Extremely Normal Bart is not taking it well
2. De Wever, B. is transitioning into Simpson, B. in opposition
3. Simpsons must be VB's dreamland: everyone is white, just like the glorious yellow flag.
4. On that topic: CD&V = Homer, openVLD = Burns, NVA = Bart, Groen = Lisa, VB = Nelson, PVDA = Willie ^{(though some of their voters love to pretend they're Lisa)}, sp.a = Moe, Volksunie (RIP) = Ned, Dedecker (RIH) = Krusty.

[PSOL]

Belgium should totally hold numerous elections till a majority pops up. Think of how epic the ebin memes would continue to be.

[Zinneke]

Well it looks like GLB was the one to kneel down and swallow. Despite his objections he accepted a nota and now Magnette and (Alex) De Croo Jr are formateurs. MR still objects to Magnette as PM but they're hardly in a position to lecture anymore.

Any other time I would have taken my hat off to Conner Rousseau, who by raising the stakes threatening elections just played GLB and MR like a spinning top, completely outflanking them and now taking away a lot of their extreme demands. But after hundreds of days they can all  off

Also I would think Ned Flanders is CD&V, whilst Homer Simpson is sp.a

[PSOL]

How is PVDA-PTB reacting to all this?

[Zinneke]

How is PVDA-PTB reacting to all this?

EDIT : well here's your official reply :

https://www.rtbf.be/info/belgique/detail_jeudi-en-prime-raoul-hedebow-considere-la-vivaldi-comme-la-continuite-de-la-suedoise?id=10592590

Hedebouw thinks it will be a continuation of Michel I. I wouldn't have gone down that road tbh, but PTB to their credit have really been focussing on the economy and health services rather than solely anti-political sentiment. I would have said that Vivaldi was what it is : a last gasp hail mary of the traditional parties all trying to secure their interest group priorities, hoping that the madness 2010s will dissipate enough by 2023. Vivaldi is the ultimate Party Cartel, to use Thierry Baudet's analysis, which is far more applicable to this country than to the Netherlands.

[LAKISYLVANIA]

Our country is such a joke

A post transferable to many places, these days.

I think we are reaching new heights of sickening cynicism here though, especially given the situation. People are losing their jobs, passing away and getting mental health problems while a bunch of politicians argue and leave the table, arrive late to meetings to annoy each other, don't follow protocol, go to the media and start talking themselves up (and that just describes Georges-Louis Bouchez, who is like a caricature of the post-modern political figure)...all for what? Who can get the most ministerial posts. I don't think any country in the developed West can seriously square up to Belgium's failures at a high political level. It's why I personally have taken it upon myself to consider vote extreme left next election even though I don't agree with a lot of the PVDA/PTB's world views. And, more seriously, I actually wouldn't care that much if VB and N-VA had a majority in Flanders. I would hope we can guarentee basic human rights but that's about it. The political class as a whole deserve to be snookered, to lose their jobs. This has been going on for 15 years now. I just checked a Belgian forum I frequent and its archive posts from 2007 - the same kabuki dance and media stunts (that time it was Leterme who was the master of disaster, with Reynders in close competition - somehow those guys have been promoted elsewhere). It has to stop, there has to be a complete overhaul of the parties and figures that dominate this country.

And I should add that small countries like ours with so many levels of power means you don't really get to choose your political class here. There is the illusion of choice of course, and many people are complicit with the partiocracy. But when Bouchez, who was high up on his list in Hainaut, is rejected by his own constituents but parachuted onto the Senate and elected party president, you can clearly see how he is imposed on us rather than the other way round. And the PS, cdH and ECOLO and all the equivalents across the linguistic border are no better. Only a massive electoral anomaly such as the extremes together winning an outright majority can maybe change this and signal the end of their charade, which is only kept alive by their complacency. After all, fail at the federal level? Here's a post at the regional level. Fail at the city council level? Off you go to the provincial level. Fail at regional level? Head of list at the European elections, or go get pickled in the party Think Tank. Its all a sham.  

Agreed.

[LAKISYLVANIA]

Thousands of people protest against Vivaldi

[LAKISYLVANIA]

Never VB!

[Zinneke]

Yep, pure scum. Also the official opposition, given N-VA is in power at the Flemish Region. Only them, PTB-PVDA and cdH (lol) will actually go into the next election as real opposition. All the others are in power somewhere. 

Our political class have given them the political oxygen to thrive. Although their bread and butter are quite clearly neo-fascist, its evident where their new voters come from. Every person who voted for a Vivaldi party in the last 20 years, myself included, has to reassess how we have let one of the richest, most prosperous regions in Europe become a fascist haven. And if there is a new, far more serious Black Sunday in three years time, every single established senior politician of Vivaldi should leave public office permanently.

[seb_pard]

According to previous date, a new poll will be published soon, what should we expect from the poll?


Terrible to see what is happening in Belgium, but at the end, this is modern western politics taken to the extreme.

[PSOL]

The next few years will be key to even the survival of the state of Belgium itself. It can survive without a government, but can it seriously survive what is an illegitimate Frankenstein of a not!government while fascists take hold in one region out of three?

[LAKISYLVANIA]

According to previous date, a new poll will be published soon, what should we expect from the poll?


Terrible to see what is happening in Belgium, but at the end, this is modern western politics taken to the extreme.

VB 35 - 40
N-VA 20 - 25
S.PA 10 - 15
CD&V 5 - 10
GREEN 5 - 10
VLD 5 - 10
PVDA 5 - 10

PTB 20 - 25
PS 20 - 25
ECOLO 20 - 25
MR 15 - 20
CDH 5 - 10

[LAKISYLVANIA]

New poll in Humo for Flemish youth. 5 most popular politicians are BDW, DVL, Francken, Van Grieken en Rousseau

[Estrella]

A guess of national seat numbers if the results were like in that poll: VB 35-40, PVDA 5-8, PTB 15-20. Averaged and put together, it works out to 62 seats.

14, 14, fourteen seats short of a NazBol majority. In 2020, in a peaceful, prosperous Western European country.

Dear Belgian politicians, how did you manage to fxck up this much?

[Estrella]

Also,

Anyway, here's an idea for a bet:
What will be the first dubious SHOCK POLL! to come after the grand coalition is formed?
a) VB at 40% in Flanders
b) PTB+Ecolo at 40% in Wallonia and/or Brussels

I regret to say that both. And I thought it was ridiculous when I was writing that!