Coalition partners criticise Leterme

27 March 2007

BRUSSELS – The Flemish majority parties of the Socialist-left wing alliance SP.A-Spirit and liberals Open VLD have voiced criticism of the fact that Flemish Minister-president Yves Leterme (Christian democrat CD&V) announced after a meeting with Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende on Monday that plans for the road sticker were scrapped. Leterme said the plans in their current form would be unacceptable to the rest of Europe.

The mobility committee in the Flemish Parliament is currently discussing the matter. Annick De Ridder (Open VLD) and Bart Martens (SP.A) said Leterme had acted unilaterally without consultation with the rest of the coalition. The opposition party Groen! applauded Leterme, as did the conservative N-VA party.

Leterme responded that the road sticker was not an option now because the European Commission would not accept that Flemish residents would be compensated for the tax.

The minister-president did acknowledge that his announcement after the meeting with Balkenende had not been discussed within the Flemish government.

Subject: Belgian news