Proposition de loi modifiant la loi du 28 février 2007 fixant le statut des militaires et candidats militaires du cadre actif des Forces armées en ce qui concerne l'exercice d'activités et de mandats politiques par des militaires.
General information ¶
- Authors
-
CD&V
Peter
Luykx
N-VA Rita Bellens, Peter Buysrogge, Karolien Grosemans, Renate Hufkens - Submission date
- March 22, 2018
- Official page
- Visit
- Status
- Rejected
- Requirement
- Simple
- Subjects
- European Parliament armed forces elective office military personnel national parliament leave for political activities regional parliament
Voting ¶
- Voted to adopt
- CD&V LE PS | SP MR PP
- Voted to reject
- Groen Ecolo DéFI ∉ Open Vld N-VA PVDA | PTB VB
- Abstained from voting
- Vooruit
Party dissidents ¶
- Peter Luykx (CD&V) voted to reject.
- Olivier Maingain (MR) voted to reject.
Contact form ¶
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Discussion ¶
Feb. 21, 2019 | Plenary session (Chamber of representatives)
Full source
Karolien Grosemans N-VA ⚙
We live in a democracy of rights and freedoms. We live in a rule of law where all inhabitants, regardless of their rank or status, are citizens of this country, citizens with inalienable rights.
Political rights are a democratic process involving applying candidates, becoming elected and also effectively embracing a mandate. Some citizens do not have these rights. is incomprehensible!
The military still does not have access to the full political order and that may not be intended. Why should a military not be allowed to exercise a national or European mandate, when it is allowed in our neighbouring countries? Those who restrict the rights of soldiers to the local level give the impression that soldiers would only be in limited measure suitable for the exercise of a political mandate.
Colleagues, we ask the military to make bombs harmless, to protect us from acts of terrorism, to assist the police, to replace cypresses in strikes, to provide medical assistance in disasters, to help the nation and third parties, to fish drunkards out of the sea; but would we deprive them of this basic right? An adaptation of this law will only enrich and add value to politics where people from all backgrounds must be found.
Giving political rights is a sign of respect. Our group has full confidence in the military as possible elected. We are all citizens first and foremost and citizens are allowed to sit at all levels in our group.
The bill was rejected in the National Defence Committee. Especially the open world surprised me.
Open Vld has always supported this proposal and has been in favor of the proposal in the past. It is also inconsistent with their statements and opinions texts, which I have read on this subject.
Colleagues of Open Vld, I may not be able to convince you, but I would like to quote my co-worker, Ms. Vautmans. She wrote a beautiful opinion text: “Military candidates can run for local or provincial elections. I myself was more ambitious” – she means more ambitious than Grosemans – “and would have liked to grant military full political rights. Indeed, I had granted them access to regional, community, federal or European mandates, to the entire political order. Political rights for military personnel are limited to the local level.
Why did our country support a recommendation from the Council of Europe that recognizes the voting rights of military personnel? A missed opportunity, if you ask me. Why should a Belgian military not be allowed to exercise a national or European mandate, while a Dutch, French, German or Danish military can do so? Military is for more good than just to stand up for our safety with the risk of our own lives?”
She ends her opinion text with the question: "Are militarymen not civilians maybe?"
In the meantime, I read on Twitter that maybe we can still get support from Open Vld. That is very hopeful. This is why I am now focusing on CD&V. I see colleague Beke sitting, mayor of the beautiful city of Leopoldsburg, with very many soldiers. I see Mrs. Heeren sitting, mayor of Sint-Truiden, where Saffraanberg is located. And Kleine Brogel also has a CD&V mayor. I urge CD&V to think again and to support this proposal anyway.