Belgium is facing another political chaos, and this time the reason for the looming crisis is the involvement of Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib in issuing visas to Iranian diplomats, writes Politico.
Some of the Foreign Minister’s coalition partners hope to hear an apology from the minister for her handling of the Iranian delegation attending a summit in Brussels in June. Failure to do so could have consequences beyond Lahbib’s resignation. A Belgian official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Politico that it is a matter of the government’s survival.”
Lahbib drew fire on herself by granting visas to 14 Iranian officials,
including staunch Iranian regime defender and Tehran mayor Alirez Zakani, to attend the Brussels Urban Summit.
Lahbib’s previous explanation in front of parliament has not convinced either opposition representatives or coalition partners, although Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo tried last week to reassure lawmakers that the misunderstanding had been resolved.
For de Cro’s coalition partners, the biggest problem is no longer the issuance of visas as such, but how Lahbib handled the backlash it caused.
In theory, a sincere apology could be enough. However, this is not acceptable to the leader of Lahbib’s party, Georges-Louis Bouchez, who has emphasized that the minister has not done anything reprehensible. If other coalition partners demand Lahbib’s resignation,
Bouchez has vowed to withdraw his party from the coalition, which will mean the Belgian government will no longer have a majority.
Although most of the ruling parties want to avoid a coalition shake-up, they are overcome by the feeling that a return to normal work is no longer possible.
Resigning or the collapse of the government would also affect the entire European Union (EU). Labiba, who is Foregn Minister, Minister of EU Affairs and Minister of Trade, is the key person for the Belgian presidency of the EU Council in the first half of 2024.