Regimepartijen geven Senaat andermaal forse opslag
![Foto: wikimedia commons. Senate of Belgium. Open Vld heeft geen enkele geloofwaardigheid over afschaffing Senaat](/sites/default/files/styles/snov_news_header_novs_w28/public/2023-05/Senate%20of%20Belgium.jpg?h=7d12d370&itok=uHCJzZKI 28w, /sites/default/files/styles/snov_news_header_novs_w33/public/2023-05/Senate%20of%20Belgium.jpg?h=7d12d370&itok=1N4s7Hcq 33w, /sites/default/files/styles/snov_news_header_novs_w39/public/2023-05/Senate%20of%20Belgium.jpg?h=7d12d370&itok=bXiuJWWO 39w, /sites/default/files/styles/snov_news_header_novs_w47/public/2023-05/Senate%20of%20Belgium.jpg?h=7d12d370&itok=I9vQZJdp 47w, /sites/default/files/styles/snov_news_header_novs_w56/public/2023-05/Senate%20of%20Belgium.jpg?h=7d12d370&itok=Cxdp23OV 56w, /sites/default/files/styles/snov_news_header_novs_w66/public/2023-05/Senate%20of%20Belgium.jpg?h=7d12d370&itok=--8Do2Nz 66w, /sites/default/files/styles/snov_news_header_novs_w67/public/2023-05/Senate%20of%20Belgium.jpg?h=7d12d370&itok=PuaapGxD 67w, 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Net zoals elke andere parlementaire instelling beslist de Senaat zelf over haar begroting. Vlaams Belang-Senator Anke Van dermeersch hield naar aanleiding daarvan andermaal een pleidooi om deze nutteloze instelling af te schaffen. Het Vlaams Belang steunde ook een aantal voorstellen om nu al flink de schaar te zetten in het budget van de Senaat. De verzamelde regimepartijen blokten deze besparingsvoorstellen echter af.
Vandaag stond aan de agenda van de Senaat de stemming over de begroting voor deze instelling voor het begrotingsjaar 2024. Van dermeersch hekelde het feit dat de begroting van de Senaat opnieuw fors de hoogte in gaat, van 42,3 miljoen in 2023 naar 45,6 miljoen euro in 2024. “Dat is toch absoluut onaanvaardbaar”, aldus Van dermeersch. “Het politieke systeem in dit land is veel te vet en dus moet erin gesnoeid worden. De eerste instelling die daarvoor in aanmerking komt, is de Senaat, want zij heeft geen enkel nut meer. Zo snel mogelijk afschaffen is dan ook onze boodschap. Dat kan echter pas te vroegste na de verkiezingen omdat daarvoor de Grondwet moet worden gewijzigd.”
Flinke besparing weggestemd
Intussen lagen er wel een aantal voorstellen voor om nu al het mes te zetten in de begroting van de Senaat. Zo werd voorgesteld om de dotaties voor de politieke partijen die vanuit de Senaat worden verstrekt na de verkiezingen af te schaffen, evenals de uitgaven voor politiek personeel. Dat komt al neer op een flinke besparing van zowat 15 miljoen.
“Vanzelfsprekend hebben wij die voorstellen gesteund”, zegt Van dermeersch, “maar de verenigde regimepartijen hebben dat tegengehouden. Hoe hypocriet kan men zijn! Groen-Ecolo, Open Vld, cd&v, Vooruit,… allemaal zijn ze voor de afschaffing van de Senaat, maar als de daad bij het woord kan en moet worden gevoerd, dan geven ze niet thuis. Hoe geloofwaardig is dat allemaal?”