Geert Wilders win in Netherlands: Christophe Calvo, ‘we also need French speakers to fight against extremism’

For the MP, an example from yesterday’s front page of Het Nieuwsblad daily reveals: “The debate about money and politics, like party funding, is very current. This creates fertile ground for extremes. Since the beginning of Vivaldi, I have been trying to find a compromise between the democrats. This may be the last time we do this with reasonable people. Today I see blockages and solutions, not only at the level of Flanders, but French speakers are needed to fight against extremes.“

With the 2024 elections in mind, ecologist Vlams Belong fears the rise of, for example, the leader of the Flemish government-shaping party, Tom van Kriegen. “For example, in the Netherlands, we see Geert Wilders trying to be reasonable and creative, while the Democrats do everything to behave in an unreasonable and irresponsible way, with display and confrontational politics. It is a paradox and a responsibility The biggest challenge we as democrats must take on together.“

And, after the last election in 2019, Vivaldi was precisely intended to be the last bastion against the nationalist gathering of the N-VA and Vlaams Belang.

“I have often said that Vivaldi represents either the last government of the old era or the first government of the new. Today, I think we are more in the first situation. By bringing together the ideas of liberals, social democrats, Christian democrats and greens, we can achieve a big, ambitious and proactive plan for this country. But now we are in a situation where everything will be decided in the election itself. This is not a question about Flemish. LBart de Wever’s responsibility is the responsibility of all democrats, including French speakers.“

According to the MP, a real debate between the left and the right is becoming urgent. “Frans Timmermans did it by uniting leftists and environmentalists in the Netherlands, who are second in line. This is just the beginning: when facing big challenges, we need to work together. It is not enough to warn about the dangers of the far right“, he concludes.