Speaking at a prestigious lecture in Amsterdam, Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever outlined a plan for a stronger and more prosperous Europe.
Dealing specifically with the topics of migration and economics, De Wever said that “Europe has been lulled to sleep over the past decades. And now we’re being rudely awakened.”
It was the first time the speech was not given by a Dutch national but Belgium’s premier, of the Flemish nationalist N-VA party, made clear his affection for the Netherlands.
“How good it is to be in the Netherlands,” he told a sold-out lecture hall. The event, organised by the opinion weekly EW, serves as the unofficial opening of the parliamentary year.
The Prime Minister wasted no time in reiterating that it is and remains his “very personal opinion that the disintegration of the Netherlands due to the Eighty Years’ War is the greatest disaster that has ever befallen us.” A similar statement recently drew criticism from the Belgian opposition Socialist Party. De Wever emphasised that this was more than just a personal sentiment: “The closer cooperation of the historical Netherlands – the current Benelux – is not a romantic dream or a nostalgic thought for me, but a political objective that is essential for our future.”
The lecture brought together his conservative views on values and society and his right-wing economic platform. “Postmodern Europe has become hypersensitive and morally conceited,” said De Wever. “The world is not a kindergarten.” Europe has become a “decrepit continent,” but it can rise from the ashes by restoring its focus on prosperity. “Europe must straighten its back. And that’s why sacred cows need to be overhauled. We need to change course.”
De Wever believes that “uncontrolled migration” has put pressure on Europe’s internal open borders. “Today, nine EU member states have introduced border controls. That’s one in three.” Therefore, migration at the European level must be reformed along the Australian model, as the N-VA platform also advocates. This means: “Those who manage to physically enter the EU without authorisation should never be granted citizenship. They should never make Europe their home. This will break the business model of human traffickers and lead to a halt in illegal flows, as in Australia.”
De Wever didn’t touch on the right to asylum in his speech. He did, however, advocate for “legal migration that strengthens our labour market” and distanced himself from “those who advocate for open borders” on the one hand, and also from “exclusive, ethnic nationalism” on the other.
“Green masochism”
Moreover, De Wever sees an opportunity in strengthening the European single market. The 15% tariff Trump has imposed on European goods since the deal with Europe? Peanuts compared to the barriers European countries still impose on each other to trade.
“According to an IMF study this year, these tariffs within the EU amount to a whopping 44% equivalent tariff on goods. For services, it’s even 110%.” He anticipates a €1.7 trillion increase in prosperity from removing all barriers within the European market. “We’re in a trade war with ourselves.”
Finally, De Wever advocated for strengthening our strategic autonomy, including our defence industry. He called “green masochism” an obstacle to the extraction of rare earth metals in Europe. European armies also need to further integrate.
The Low Countries must take the lead. To this end, De Wever recalled Article 350 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, “which allows the Benelux to integrate faster and more deeply than the European Union itself.”
“The Benelux can take political leadership and boost business,” De Wever concluded.
This piece was originally published in De Standaard.
