"Flanders must be visionary"

24 September 2007

ANTWERP – Minister president Kris Peeters (Christian democrat CD&V) gave his September declaration in the Flemish Parliament on Monday. He urged for a “visionary, ambitious and international Flanders.”

Peeters says the Flemish government has already realised 85 percent of its objectives. But many people are pessimistic about the future, he said, and Flanders “cannot afford to stand still.”

The Flemish government is and remains an investment government, he said. Flanders must not be satisfied with being somewhere in the middle, but must secure a place in the very top.

Peeters did point out that it is not only the Flemish ministers that need to step up to the plate. The Flemish government expects “a positive reaction from all of Flanders, from every Fleming.” “More opportunities, innovation, enterprise.”

The Peeters government wants to deepen six policy domains: competencies, innovation, the working away of waiting lists, the implementation of the climate policy plan, reaping the rewards of the administrative reorganisation and pursuing a general policy of lowering tax burdens.

Peeters stressed education, enterprise and innovation. “Brains are our capital…Innovation is the only way to put our economy in motion.”

The budgetary view on Flanders is looking good, Peeters said. “The policy credits for 2008 come to EUR 23.4 million, that is EUR 1.2 billion more than in 2007.”

Peeters pointed out that the government has been thrifty over the past few years so that there will be more to spend in 2008. And he pointed out that “the Flemish government will be debt free by the end of 2008. “

Just as two weeks ago, Peeters reiterated that his government remained committed to the five resolutions from 1999.

“More Flanders”, therefore, “because if there is one handicap today that complicates more effective policy it is the fragmentation of powers between federal and regional policy,” Peeters said.

Conclusion, with more powers Flanders can do even better.

Subject: Belgian news

“Flanders must be visionary”