Di Rupo asks Verhofstadt to court CDH

December 19 2007 – The Francophone Christian democrat CDH of party chair Joëlle Milquet is withdrawing from negotiations for an interim government. The Francophone socialist PS party are calling on caretaker PM Verhofstadt to try to get the CDH aboard anyway.

The four largest parties in the country, the coalition of Flemish Christian democrats (CD&V) and Flemish nationalists (N-VA), Flemish liberals of Open VLD, Francophone liberals of the MR party and the Francophone socialists, are not in agreement about whether the CDH should be allowed to join the interim government. Will PS withdraw also? The Francophone Christian democrats are bitter about the veto by Francophone liberals against their participation in the interim government.

The Francophone Christian democrat CDH of party chair Joëlle Milquet has withdrawn from the negotiations. The Francophone socialist PS party looks set to do the same. CDH can count on solidarity of Elio Di Rupo (PS) CD&V and especially PS wanted the Francophone Christian democrats to join an interim cabinet.

MR chairman Didier Reynders was against this, despite the fact that the CDH would most likely be included in the government that is formed after the interim government is disbanded by Easter.

Tuesday morning CDH chairwoman Joëlle Milquet met with caretaker Guy Verhofstadt.

Mr Verhofstadt apparently told her that there were no guarantees that the CDH would be in the interim government. Ms Milquet has drawn her own conclusions and withdrawn from the negotiations.

Out of solidarity with the Francophone Christian democrats, the Francophone socialists are now saying that they are planning to leave the negotiations as well.

The PS wants Mr Verhofstadt to try to convince the CDH to join.