Minister Zuhal Demir (N-VA) describes Tom Meeuws (Vooruit) as “flipflop ships” (Antwerp)
The reason for this attack is the proposal to eliminate independent diesel and petrol cars in the low emission zones (LEZ) in Ghent and Antwerp in 2031 and 2035. Meeuws has his reservations about these measures. He also expressed it in the congregation on Monday. “We do have to think about a diesel ban in 2031 that doesn’t make sense yet,” he said.
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It strikes Demir that it is precisely Meeuws who took the offensive, while in his own election program in 2018 he went much further and all combustion engines would already exist in the city center from 2030 and from 2035 even over the entire relocation, so also outside the current LEZ.
Flemish minister Demir describes Meeuws’ statement as twisting. “It seems like the superlative degree of hypocrisy,” says Demir. “But, good news, mister flip-flop ships. The city itself has its own connection to adapt and abolish the LEZ. Flanders has nothing to eat and is not married to the LEZ. So you can perfectly go against your own program if that is even opportunistically good.
Demir probably does that nothing has been decided yet. It now passes through various advisory bodies. The government will then consider the proposal again,” says the minister.
What Demir will maintain is the postponement of the next reinforcement in the LEZ from 2025 to 2026 following the purchasing power crisis.
Light a fire
Aldermen Meeuws may be responding to Minister Demir’s attack, mainly because he and the minister are pursuing the same goals: better air quality. “She is now also lighting political fires as the only sustainable energy source is,” says Meeuws. “As alderman, I implement an administrative agreement and not an electoral programme. Moreover, there is progressive insight. Based on an evaluation report, it was decided, together with coalition partners N-VA, not to test the Antwerp LEZ. This was an important social measure.”
The ships repeat that an ultra LEZ, which everyone must adhere to, is pointless. He advises the minister to read the Antwerp climate plan. “We advocate the ultra LEZ for rafts, so only for buses and taxis, for example. I don’t do symbolism. We measure and steer where necessary. This is not a flip flop. The decision about the LEZ in the future will lie with the next Antwerp management team.”
According to Meeuws, the failure was mainly prompted by the breath of Europe in the neck of the Flemish minister. “In order to meet the European air quality objectives, the minister was quick to include the ultra LEZ in her 2019 air policy plan,” says Meeuws. “Perhaps they should have come to listen to us first, then we could have helped her.”