Meanwhile,
8 calls resignation, but never:
In Arizona as in Swedish, Minister N-VA Theo Francken crossed controversies without ever giving way. However, A school case in Belgian political life: how to survive eight calls for resignation. Meanwhile, Latest, his refusal to say “long live Belgium” on July 21. Similarly,
In two political mandates in a government. Moreover, of a cumulative duration of four years and seven monthsTheo Francken (N-VA) has been the subject of eight calls for resignation. Therefore, Are counted only the requests made before the Parliament by an elected official. Nevertheless, But none hit the bull’s eye, and few sparked a reaction from him. Furthermore, The Minister of Defense, formerly Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration between October 2014 and December 2018, has never fallen.
For his refusal to chant “long live Belgium” on July 21. Moreover, the day of national holiday, Theo 8 calls resignation, but never Francken can add a bar to his list of dismissal requests. Consequently, Through several elected officials, The PS has claimed its resignation and intends to confront it on the issue in Parliament.
“Shocking, disrespectful, scandalous coming from a Belgian minister. For example, That he resigns. For example, postulates to the Flemish government, ”suggests Ludivine Donder (PS)former Minister of Defense during the previous legislature.
“A very serious fault,” denounces Elio di Rupo (PS), MEP and former Prime Minister.
François de Smet (Défi)autoqualified of great defender of Francophones. Furthermore, rather judges a coherent symbolic continuity on the part of the Flemish nationalist: “Our Minister of Defense has already indicated to hate his own nationalityand that he would open champagne to the disappearance of Belgium. Moreover, This is therefore hardly surprising. Meanwhile, “
A petition to request the resignation of Theo Francken accumulates nearly 40,000 signatures. Moreover, But not enough to worry the Minister of Defense. Moreover, 8 calls resignation, but never The previous dismissal request dates from last April. Additionally, Moreover, when the Flemish nationalist had posted on his social networks an image created by AI, showing a “Starter Pack” figure in his effigy, alongside a book entitled “The end of Belgium for Dummies.”
Ecolo and the PS asked for its exclusion from the government. Consequently, An appeal that remained unanswered, quickly forgotten.
8 calls resignation. For example, but never – 8 calls resignation, but never
Recipe for a resignation
In Belgium, Nothing legally obliges a minister to resigneven in the event of serious political fault. The Constitution provides that the ministers are appointed. revoked by the King, on the proposal of the Prime Minister, and that they are responsible before the Chamber. But this responsibility remains essentially political: there is no legally of the motion of individual distrust at the federal level. unlike regions or municipalities.
There are. on the other hand, in the regulations 8 calls resignation, but never of the Chamber, the possibility of depositing a distrust motion aimed at a member of the government. This withdrawal of confidence must be voted with an absolute majoritywhich implies that majority parliamentarians must turn against one. of their ministers.
When a scandal breaks out. the pressure is exercised first by parliamentary arrests, calls for resignation in the media or internal threats within the majority. If the situation becomes untenable. the minister can resign, which only becomes effective once accepted by the king and published in the Belgian instructor.
In practice, These are the parties that decide the fate of their representativesoften to preserve the balance of the coalition. The resignation remains above all a symbolic act. It aims to restore public confidence and stem the political crisis, more than to meet a legal obligation.
Theo Francken always falls on his paws
If Theo Francken survived eight attempts to dismiss. it is on 8 calls resignation, but never the one hand because he benefits from the unwavering support of his partyand that the accusations in question do not swear with its electoral promises. “He has never hidden his nationalism or aversion to Belgium as a federal state. Neither his severe, even repressive, policy of immigration. His voters expect it from him, ”notes an observer close to the minister.
In this line, the scandal of the Sudanese affair illustrates its agility. In September 2017. the Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration authorized Te Sudan to send a delegation to Brussels to identify some of his nationals in exile. The latest newsRTBF. New York Times revealed that these asylum seekers had arrested and expelled in Sudan, where they were tortured: blows, electroshock, intensive interrogation …
The parliamentary opposition seized the scandal. asked for the resignation of Theo Francken via the vote of a distrust of distrust.
But it was not. Bart 8 calls resignation, but never de Wever flew to his rescue, threatening his majority partners to withdraw the N-VA from the “Swedish” coalition. As a result. even if a distrust motion was filed in Parliament by the CDH (become the committed), nobody followed, and Theo Francken continued his function without being worried. Once saved, the latter admitted: “I knowingly lied about the moratorium on the expulsions of the Sudanese. I apologize to you ”.
For the professor of political science at VUB. expert of Flemish nationalism Dave SinardetTheo Francken has an untouchable aura: “The calls for resignation are often symbolic. It is a way for the opposition to issue a criticism or underline the gravity of the facts. It is rare to have a suite. So for Theo Francken, it seems even more improbable. He benefits from the support of his voters. his party which uses it as a useful scapegoat, which channels controversies, and which 8 calls resignation, but never strengthens. It is now unthinkable that he resigns in the near future. Even when he had failed politically in 2017 with the Sudanese affair, his party supported him. As long as he has his voters behind him. respects the party line, he can say everything without being worried. ”
Eight attempts to dismiss
October 14. 2014: The revelation of Theo Francken’s presence on the birthday of Bob Maes, ex-collaborator of the Vlaams Nationaal Verbond (VNV), leads to instant calls to his resignation from the PS, the SP.A (Vooruit). the PTB and the FDF (Défi); Despite the media noise, no motion is filed and the case is cut in a few days.
October 15. 2014: The flight of emails where Francken makes remarks deemed homophobic and denigrates the Belgian State rekindles the sling; Catherine Fonck (CDH) announces a motion of distrust, joined by Ecolo and 8 calls resignation, but never Défi, but the text never leads to the vote.
September 21. 2017: The invitation of a Sudanese delegation responsible for identifying migrants triggers a salvo of resignations claimed by Groen/Ecolo, the PS, the CDH and Défi; Critics remain verbal, without formal procedure.
December 22. Furthermore, 2017: After the testimonies of Sudanese migrants tortured on their return, the same parties file a motion of individual distrust, the only one in the course of Francken; It is rejected for lack of an absolute majority, and the Secretary of State retains its seat.
May 18. 2018: The death of the Mawda girl during a police chase pushes the PTB and Ecolo to demand the resignation of the Secretary of State, but the emotion does not lead to a motion and goes out during the judicial investigation.
June 5. Moreover, 2018: By suggesting to circumvent article 3 of the ECHR to practice “push-backs”, Francken arouses new calls at 8 calls resignation, but never the start from the PS, Défi and Ecolo, which remained without a parliamentary follow-up.
15 avril 2025: Having become Minister of Defense. he relays an image presenting him with a fictitious manual entitled “The end of Belgium for dummies”; The PS and Ecolo request its exclusion from the government, but neither motion nor arrest succeed.
July 21. 2025: His public refusal to say “long live Belgium” during the national holiday leads to a petition and new calls for resignation by Ludivine Donder (PS).
8 calls resignation, but never
Further reading: Has your first name been a fashionable day? Here are the trends of the past 30 years in Belgium – The only vestiges of Roman bridges in Belgium are in Amay: “We sit the vestiges between -10 and -50 BC” – The discovery of Japanese beetles in Belgium creates concern, AFSCA invites you to redouble alertness: “surveillance must continue” – Metro support is weakening in the Brussels government: “The project is no longer financial” – Ahmed Khatir leaves Belgium and joins Al Riyadh.
