Belgium’s Government Has 55 Luxury Cars and 33 Drivers
Belgium’s federal government has a fleet of 55 official luxury cars, along with 33 private drivers, according to recent figures provided by the PVDA party.
The government also has 53 fuel and charging cards, while the annual cost of leasing the official cars is about 643,000 euro.
The figures have drawn attention as many Belgian households continue to deal with high living costs and changing fuel prices.
Ministers Have Official Cars and Drivers
PVDA leader Raoul Hedebouw strongly criticized the size and cost of the government fleet.
He argued that ministers do not face the same pressure from rising fuel prices as ordinary people because they can use official cars, private drivers and government-paid fuel cards.
Hedebouw said this creates a gap between politicians and people who have to pay their own transportation costs.
The government has not suggested that the fleet is directly linked to decisions about fuel or other living costs.
Which Ministers Have the Most Cars?
The number of official vehicles varies between government offices.
Jan Jambon of N-VA and David Clarinval of MR have the largest fleets, with seven cars assigned to each ministerial office.
Prime Minister Bart De Wever has six official cars assigned to his office.
Bernard Quintin of MR, Frank Vandenbroucke of Vooruit, Annelies Verlinden of cd&v and Vincent Van Peteghem of cd&v each have four cars.
The Five Most Expensive Official Cars
The data also shows the monthly leasing cost of individual vehicles.
Theo Francken’s Audi Q7 is the most expensive vehicle listed. The lease costs about 2,600 euro per month.
Frank Vandenbroucke’s Audi A6 ranks second, with a monthly lease cost of 1,998 euro.
Prime Minister Bart De Wever’s Volvo XC90 ranks third at 1,791 euro per month.
The fourth most expensive vehicle is an Audi Q5 used by Rob Beenders of Vooruit, costing 1,691 euro per month.
A BMW X3 used by Mathieu Bihet of MR completes the top five, with a monthly leasing cost of 1,640 euro.
A Cost Paid by Taxpayers
The figures are likely to fuel the debate over how much taxpayers should spend on official vehicles and other benefits for government officials.
Supporters of official cars can argue that ministers need reliable transportation for their work and official duties.
Critics, however, say the size of the fleet deserves closer attention at a time when the government is looking for ways to control public spending.
For Belgian taxpayers, the main question is simple: are these vehicles and services worth the cost?
