“We’re working for everybody from Zeebrugge to Arlon”
Informateur Paul Magnette says that he believes in chances of success for a positive, social project adding that he is working in the interests of all Belgians. He called on political parties to look further than their mutual differences and to concentrate on what binds them. He was speaking after the king gave him two more weeks for talks with parties.
“We are working for all Belgians, from Zeebrugge to Arlon, from Eupen to Mouscron” Paul Magnette, the leader of the Francophone socialist party, PS, told a news conference. This is seen as a rebuttal of words earlier in the day spoken by Flemish nationalist leader De Wever, who claimed his party defended the interests of those who work, save and take business initiatives, while the PS was defending the interests of those who don’t.
King Filip appointed Mr Magnette as informateur on 5 November. His job is to inform the monarch on the opportunities to form a new federal government following elections on 26 May 2019. Since then the PS leader has been holding talks with ten parties: the Flemish nationalists, the Flemish and Francophone socialists, liberals, Christian democrats and Greens and the Brussels Democrats. He has been attempting to find a consensus around several themes including employment, poverty, security, climate, migration and the modernisation of the state.