Vlaams Belang Calls for Government Spending Cap
Vlaams Belang leader Tom Van Grieken is calling for a legal cap on government spending, saying Belgium should limit public spending to 50 percent of its gross domestic product.
Speaking Thursday on VRT radio program De Ochtend, Van Grieken said Belgium currently spends more than 54 percent of its GDP through government spending.
“We propose, and that is still very modest, that the government should only be allowed to spend 50 percent of GDP,” Van Grieken said.
He argued that spending above that level moves the country away from a market economy and toward a state-driven economy. He also warned that continued high government spending could leave future generations with the bill.
Van Grieken pointed to other European countries where government spending is below 50 percent of GDP and said Belgium should reduce its spending rather than continue increasing taxes.
He also criticized the federal government’s consideration of additional revenue measures, including possible tax increases. Vlaams Belang strongly opposes any increase in VAT, arguing that it would raise costs for consumers at a time when household purchasing power is already under pressure.
Instead, Van Grieken said the government should review existing subsidies and other major areas of spending. He specifically mentioned the cost of accommodating asylum seekers, which he claimed has risen to around 1.1 billion euro per year.
Van Grieken also commented on Prime Minister Bart De Wever’s recent call for another round of institutional reforms in Belgium. While Van Grieken said he agrees that further reforms between Belgium’s regions and communities are needed, he questioned whether De Wever would actually deliver them.
“We have been hearing this story for 20 years,” Van Grieken said, arguing that previous opportunities for reform had not produced the changes he wanted.
