Belgium CRISIS: Michel's government MELTDOWN shows EU is losing fight with populists

BELGIUM became yet another unstable European Union government after its prime minister Charles Michel announced his decision to resign amid a furious row over the country’s support for a UN migration pact that collapsed the government.

کد خبر: ۸۶۳۸۲۳

تاریخ: ۰۵ دی ۱۳۹۷ - ۰۹:۰۶

Mr Michel lost the support of the Flemish nationalist N-VA, the largest party in his coalition government, over the non-binding United Nations agreement, which opponents claimed would open to door to further European migration. Belgium now finds itself braced for a snap election as early as next month despite the prime minister’s desperate request for parliament to support his minority government in a “coalition of goodwill” until the scheduled elections in late May. But his request left Socialists and Greens unconvinced of his ability to lead the country and with the threat of a no confidence vote, Mr Michel said: “My appeal was not not convincing. It was not heard. I take the decision to resign.”

King Philippe of Belgium has consulted political parties and has decided to allow Mr Michel's minority government to hobble along until the May 26, 2019 scheduled elections.

But the collapse of a centrist government at the heart of the European Union represents a high-profile casualty in the fight against populist and nationalist anger across the Continent.

Koert Debeuf, a former advisor to the Belgian government, said the N-VA had used the migration issue as a method to maintain support amongst conversation voters gravitating towards the far-right.

“It’s the same anti-migration wave that’ been blowing through Europe since 2015,” he said. “But this is a game that’s going on in order not to lose the elections.”

Martin Conway, a professor of European history, said Mr Michel’s resignation reveals the difficulty being faced by centrists attempting to cling to power across the EU.

“It’s clever, sensible, technical governance which is really under threat.”

Right-wing politicians proclaimed the resignation announcement as a victory as they prepare to make their own bid for power.

Barbara Pas, an MP for the far-right Vlaams Belang party, said: “They have to listen to the people.”

Catherine Fonck, a centre-left politician, accused Mr Michel of bringing the crisis on himself by partnering up with the N-VA.

She said: “The fruit of your government with the N-VA is fear amongst the population, the fear of people to lose what they have, the fear of migrants.

“The N-VA seeks only one thing: to sabotage Belgium.”

But the opposition to the UN migration pact was clearly visible when thousands of demonstrators took part in protests against the Belgian government.

On December 16, some 5,500, according to police figures, marched on the Brussels district hosting the EU’s main institutions.

Police were forced to deploy teargas and water cannons as scuffles broke out between right-wing demonstrators and riot police.

Banners displaying slogans, including “out people first” and “we have had enough, close our borders” were prominent throughout the march.

The EU has been grappling with an upsurge of migration since 2015 when more than 1 million people entered Europe, many fleeing civil wars in Syria and Iraq and poverty in Africa.

Italy, Hungary, Austria, Poland, Bulgaria and Slovakia have also pulled out of the draft UN migration pact, which is expected to be ratified at the UN headquarters in New York on December 19.

The draft accord lays down 23 objectives to open up legal migration and better manage a global flow of 250 million people.

The deal, which is not legally binding, seeks an international approach to migration that "reaffirms the sovereign rights of states to determine their national migration policy" and asserts the "fundamental" importance of legal migration.