Belgium’s Coalition Faces Crisis Over Gaza Conflict
For weeks, Belgium’s ruling parties have been locked in an increasingly bitter dispute over the war in Gaza – a clash that now threatens to shake the foundations of the country’s already fragile five-party coalition, reports 24brussels.
The so-called “Arizona” coalition, which unites the Nieuw-Vlaamse Alliantie (N-VA, ECR), Mouvement Réformateur (MR, Renew), Les Engagés, Vooruit (S&D), and the Christen-Democratisch en Vlaans (CD&V, EPP), is showing significant fractures as it grapples with issues surrounding sanctions against Israel, recognition of Palestine, and the potential labeling of the conflict as genocide.
Belgium has recently joined efforts to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza, but this initiative has come under fire from some coalition members who consider it woefully inadequate.
Adding to the discord, Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot (Les Engagés) announced last week Belgium’s support for the suspension of Israel from parts of the EU’s Horizon Europe research and innovation program. However, this represents one of the few points of agreement within the divided government.
Frustration escalated in late July when Conner Rousseau, leader of the Flemish Socialists (Vooruit), declared to VRT that he would promptly collapse the government if it would “help the people of Gaza.” He warned that his party might withdraw support for the coalition if it was stifled in its stances on the issue.
MR party leader Georges-Louis Bouchez countered Rousseau’s remarks, stating on RTL that “Belgians would not understand the country being put in a difficult position over international issues,” advocating for coordinated actions at the EU level in consultation with Washington to avoid allowing American companies to dominate outcomes.
The Gaza-Israel conflict will be a central topic at an emergency meeting of the Parliament’s International Relations Committee on Thursday, where MPs will question Prévot.
An absent Prime Minister
As tensions boil, Les Engagés, CD&V, and Vooruit are pushing for an emergency cabinet meeting. They aim to persuade MR, which opposes recognizing genocide, and N-VA, which has yet to establish a position, to move toward imposing sanctions on Israel.
However, Prime Minister Bart De Wever (N-VA) is currently on holiday and does not plan to convene a virtual meeting, as confirmed by La Libre.
Criticism of this inaction surfaced on Monday when Els Van Hoof (CD&V), chair of the International Relations Committee, remarked that the silence, including that of the Prime Minister, regarding Gaza is “deafening.” She emphasized Belgium’s responsibility to act alongside the EU while pursuing its own initiatives to prevent genocide, citing legal ramifications under the 1948 UN Genocide Convention.
Van Hoof also accused N-VA of deferring responsibility to the EU and MR as it remains hesitant to take a definitive stance, asserting, “Doing nothing when genocide is taking place is also a choice.”
While substantial progress during Thursday’s committee session seems unlikely, Foreign Minister Prévot is expected to confront the evident lack of consensus, setting the stage for fervent discussions among legislators.
