Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Parties threaten to quit government if a hunger striker dies
The Brussels Times ^ | 7/19/2021 | Lauren Walker

Posted on 07/19/2021 4:27:10 PM PDT by Right Wing Vegan

As the situation of the migrants on hunger strike in Brussels worsens, French-speaking socialist party PS and green party Ecolo have threatened to quit the federal government if any one of the activists dies, which would result in the current government falling.

Both parties have informed Prime Minister Alexander De Croo that the ministers and secretaries of state will resign, which would see the government De Croo I losing its majority as part of the Vivaldi coalition.

During the core cabinet meeting on Monday morning, federal Economy and Labour minister Pierre-Yves Dermagne warned that the PS ministers and secretaries of state would tender their resignation “within the hour” in case of a death.

Since 23 May, more than 400 undocumented migrants who are asking for collective regularisation, have been on hunger strike. In the last weeks, the situation has escalated.

Some of the hunger strikers in the Beguinage church in the centre of Brussels and on the campus of the VUB in Ixelles recently started refusing water, whilst others have attempted to commit suicide, and it is feared someone may die in the coming days.

If that happens, several ministers, Dermagne alongside the minister of Pensions Karine Lalieux, Defence minister Ludivine Dedonder and Secretary of State for Recovery and Strategic Investments Thomas Dermine, among others, would resign.

Groen did not respond to The Brussels Times’ request for a comment on the party’s latest position before publication. Rising political tensions

For weeks now, the situation with the migrants has led to political tensions, as several of the government parties, including CD&V, Open VLD, MR, as well as De Croo himself have backed State Secretary for Asylum and Migration Sammy Mahdi’s stance to refuse giving collective regularisation to the group.

However, the left-wing block of the government, including PS and Ecolo as well as Flemish-speaking ecologist party Groen, called on De Croo on Sunday to take the case out of the hands of Mahdi.

Earlier on Monday, Open VLD chairman Egbert Lachaert warned against provoking a governmental crisis over the hunger strikers, especially as the government is dealing with both the coronavirus crisis and the aftermath of the severe weather experienced by many regions across Belgium last week.

However, this latest announcement by both parties threatens to provoke such a crisis. Crisis management

Last week, in a bid to reduce tensions, Mahdi opened a “neutral zone” where the migrants could receive information about existing procedures and their options, however, the migrants have repeatedly made clear that they refuse to give up before a solution is found for everyone in the group.

On Monday, it was confirmed that the commissioner general at the independent federal administration General Commissioner for Refugees and Stateless Persons (CGRA), Dirk Van den Bulck, would be the special envoy to guide the activists towards existing procedures in this zone.

“The government does not discriminate and takes every file submitted to heart. Anyone who wants to submit a regularisation file can do so on the spot,” Mahdi said in a press release.

At the request of the government, medical teams were also sent to all three striking sites on Sunday evening to carry out a medical check-up of those who wanted it, but none of the activists agreed to be taken away.

Meanwhile, Olivier De Schutter, UN special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, who visited the hunger strikers in the Beguinage church at the start of this month, sent an open letter to the Belgian government to Mahdi, saying their deportation must be ruled out. Alongside Felipe Gonzalez, special rapporteur on the human rights of migrants, De Schutter recalled the obligation to protect the human rights of migrants, whether or not they are legal residents in Belgium. “It would be desirable for the government to confirm that the state of health of the hunger strikers is an obstacle to any expulsion,” the two UN rapporteurs said on Monday.


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: alexanderdecroo; beguinage; belgium; brussels; dirkvandenbulck; ecolo; egbertlachaert; eurabia; europeanunion; fascists; globalwarminghoax; greennewdeal; greenparty; illegals; immigration; invasion; karinelalieux; labour; ludivinededonder; olivierdeschutter; partygroen; pierreyvesdermagne; ps; sammymahdi; socialistparty; thomasdermine

1 posted on 07/19/2021 4:27:10 PM PDT by Right Wing Vegan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Right Wing Vegan

Deport them, they can eat in their home country.


2 posted on 07/19/2021 4:34:00 PM PDT by caww ( )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Right Wing Vegan

He needs to eat his sprouts while in Brussels


3 posted on 07/19/2021 4:35:23 PM PDT by NWFree (Somebody has to say it)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Right Wing Vegan

Hunger striking Marxists can die. I don’t care.


4 posted on 07/19/2021 4:44:44 PM PDT by Vaquero ( Don't pick a fight with an old guy. If he is too old to fight, he'll just kill you. )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Right Wing Vegan
Who cares? Their stomach, their choice.

"One hunger striker dead is a tragedy; 400 dead hunger strikers is a statistic."

5 posted on 07/19/2021 4:44:48 PM PDT by Governor Dinwiddie ("Success is 10 percent inspiration and 90 percent perspiration." — Thomas Edison)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Right Wing Vegan

“Since 23 May, more than 400 undocumented migrants who are asking for collective regularisation, have been on hunger strike”

Not a real hunger strike or they would be dead.


6 posted on 07/19/2021 4:47:01 PM PDT by dynachrome ("I will not be reconstructed, and I do not give a damn.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Right Wing Vegan

It’s not just 400 migrants that have to be dealt with.

If 400 are allowed to stay, then at least 400 more will come.

800+

1600+

3200+

6400+

12800+

....

12 million+

24 million+

48 million+

96 million+

192 million+

Alien invasion is the big problem of our era.

If a government falls, the bread will get baked in the morning....

Very few people will starve themselves to death. Any person that starves himself is an idiot. We need fewer idiots.


7 posted on 07/19/2021 4:48:13 PM PDT by Brian Griffin
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Right Wing Vegan

8 posted on 07/19/2021 4:49:45 PM PDT by Seruzawa (The political Left is the Garden of Eden of Incompetence - Marx the Smarter (Groucho))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dynachrome

“Since 23 May, more than 400...have been on hunger strike”

And every one of them is a fraudulent faker.


9 posted on 07/19/2021 4:51:56 PM PDT by Brian Griffin
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Right Wing Vegan

Why is it that anyone would go to bat for illegal alien invaders?

I know in this country Democrats want cheap votes and the GOP wants cheap labor, why would Belgians want their country over run with foreigners?


10 posted on 07/19/2021 4:55:46 PM PDT by Lurkinanloomin (Natural Born Citizens Are Born Here of Citizen Parents)(Know Islam, No Peace - No Islam, Know Peace)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Brian Griffin

We are somewhere between 24 million and 48 million now and it’s growing rapidly.


11 posted on 07/19/2021 4:56:56 PM PDT by Lurkinanloomin (Natural Born Citizens Are Born Here of Citizen Parents)(Know Islam, No Peace - No Islam, Know Peace)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Lurkinanloomin
Why is it that anyone would go to bat for illegal alien invaders?

Must be the case that obliterating traditional demographics and cultures of nations helps further the new world horrorder.

12 posted on 07/19/2021 5:12:08 PM PDT by Right Wing Vegan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: Right Wing Vegan

Does Belgium actually have a government that can ‘fall’? I thought Belgium hasn’t had a functioning government for a few years now.

Kind of like the USA not having a real functioning government for the last half year.


13 posted on 07/19/2021 5:13:38 PM PDT by hanamizu
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Right Wing Vegan

Just like the kid who threatens to h9ld his breath until he turns blue.

Have at it.

After you pass out, you’ll start breathing again.

They don’t want to eat?

Fine.

Put the food in their cell and leave the decision up to them.

Then ship their bodies back to wherever they came from.


14 posted on 07/19/2021 5:20:11 PM PDT by metmom (...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith…)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Right Wing Vegan

Sorry about the potentially dead Muslim Illegal Aliens (who should be deported anyway) but getting pro-Muslim invasion wack-a-doodles out of any government?

I would call that a win!


15 posted on 07/19/2021 5:26:55 PM PDT by Rurudyne (Standup Philosopher)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Right Wing Vegan

then stick a needle in it’s arm or a tube down it’s throat


16 posted on 07/19/2021 5:43:51 PM PDT by Chode (there is no fall back position, there's no rally point, there is no LZ... we're on our own. P144:1)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Arthur Wildfire! March; Berosus; Bockscar; cardinal4; ColdOne; ...
Besides being illegals, who are the hunger strikers? The best solution involves the fall of the Belgian gov't, new elections, and some other stuff I'm redacting.

17 posted on 07/19/2021 7:37:38 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson