Secretary of State for Equal Opportunities Sarah Schlitz (Ecolo) is resigning. She announced this just now on Matin Premiere on RTBF. Schlitz came under fire last week for using her personal logo in government communications and lying about it in parliament. Support from the other Vivaldi party crumbled in recent days.
The Schlitz saga began last Tuesday when she was reprimanded in the election expenditure control committee. The parliament unanimously reprimanded her because her logo appeared on the site of Kazerne Dossin on a project to which the Schlitz department had awarded grants. This is how a politician promotes himself with taxpayers’ money, which is forbidden.
Schlitz apologised, speaking of an “awkwardness” and stressing that she had not asked to use her logo herself. Documents that came out the day after her explanation showed that organisers were indeed asked that question. According to opposition member Sander Loones (N-VA), who also submitted the original complaint to the committee, Schlitz had therefore lied to parliament. N-VA subsequently demanded the secretary of state’s resignation.
Immediately it became clear that she did not get unconditional support from the other Vivaldi parties. Normally, the majority neutralises a demand for dismissal from the opposition by voting a simple motion with high urgency. MR, PS and Vooruit refused Schlitz an easy way out. In De Zevende Dag, Vooruit president Rousseau added to it: he openly questioned whether “she can still function credibly”.
In recent days, new examples of Schlitz’s logo were leaked several times in places where it should not be seen. To make matters worse, her cabinet colleague shared a message on social media linking the N-VA to Nazism.
So Sander Loones has managed to topple yet another state secretary after Eva De Bleeker. Kudos to his parliamentary work.
That’s what ministers/secretaries of state for useless positions are for, no? They are spare ministers to sacrifice as scapegoats, like a lightning conductor to redirect outrage and criticism into a manufactured scandal.
The title is a bit misleading, as they say in the article it’s more about her lying in parliament about how that logo came to be on the building. Other state secretaries have attached logos to projects but that’s a separate discussion to Schlitz lying in parliament.
Fuss about the use of a personal logo, or rather for lying about it in the parliement and approving a support message linking politicians from other parties to nazis (even if she did come back on this approval a few days later)?
It’s like the Clinton stuff from decades ago; Bill was not impeached because of a blowjob, but because he lied about it (after an oath, I think?).
You know you’re not into politics whatsoever when whenever a story like this breaks you go “I have legit never heard of this person”.
It’s me. You is me.
strange how the minute that La derniere heure releases that ecolo knew about this way before it became an issue she had to go.
Ah N-VA crying about the use of a personal logo while having an elderman (schepen/échevine) in Antwerp that is questionable (Ait Daoud), a mayor that has nothing better to do then nag about wholeness while his city is flooded with drugs and drug related violence is common, and Francken that keeps attacking everyone who did his old job.
Anyway Schlitz did make mistakes so only fair that she is gone.
Edit: apparently lots of N-VA fans here. Not surprised
to the people who do not see the issue:
Imagine Van Peteghem putting his logo on all tax return billets in favor of the people.
Again that evil patriarchy holding women accoubtable for their own faults.
Great work by Sander Loones – this is what opposition should be like.
Good riddance – Ecolo realized they got caught
Another day in Belgium, another crooked politician.
Can’t imagine what the rest of their gang does behind the curtains.
Too bad it’s mostly because of her lying. I don’t see how the whole trumpian tactic of promoting yourself by putting your name on popular policies, can be acceptable.
Tbh she never should have had the job, based on the fact that she doesn’t speak both major languages in Belgium.
That goes both ways, tbf. Not speaking at least french and dutch (semi) fluently should disqualify anyone for national office, especially as a minister/secretary of state. German is a plus but not realistic to expect, unfortunately.
Talk about ‘closing the gap’ between people and politicians? Maybe start by making sure that they *literally* speak the same language.
And ‘yes I am aware I don’t speak (insert language) but I will take courses’ is a easy excuse but I don’t buy it. Too easy to use as an umbrella, then wait till the storm settles and never talk about it again.
And it is possible! Di Rupo struggled HARD when he started as PM but I think now he’s pretty decent at speaking Dutch right? Schlitz didn’t even try when she started, waving critics away as “N-VA and VB extremists”. That’s too easy. Unfortunately there’s more than one person in Vivaldi who speaks only one language so I don’t think they’re following my opinion here.
2019: State Secretary Theo Francken (N-VA) is not stepping down after visa scandal but his party decides to leave the federal government for a detail. Ecolo was much more courageous than the Flemish nationalists.
Hey is Mijhneer Frédéric Janssen still in paid vacations of “écartement” ?
Don’t forget this guy threated to kill his employees and harrassed them.
What about Mijnheer Marcourt for his luxury travel spendings in Middle East ? Oh he is now working in SOCOFE a branch of intercommunale NETHYS !
This country as alway: strong with the weaks. Weak with the strongs.
heisa =/= ‘fuss’
anyway it’s more about lying to parlement no?
Er zijn hier in België heel veel politici die boter op hun hoofd hebben.
Ja, wat Schlitz deed was een fout. Maar kom me niet vertellen dat dit geen gemeengoed is in ons huidig politieke systeem.
Ik kan me niet van de indruk ontdoen dat er hier met 2 maten en gewichten gewerkt wordt. Zeker qua persoonlijke marketing voor publieke projecten, maar ook qua liegen in de politiek.
19 comments
Ding Dong, the Schlitz is dead.
Secretary of State for Equal Opportunities Sarah Schlitz (Ecolo) is resigning. She announced this just now on Matin Premiere on RTBF. Schlitz came under fire last week for using her personal logo in government communications and lying about it in parliament. Support from the other Vivaldi party crumbled in recent days.
The Schlitz saga began last Tuesday when she was reprimanded in the election expenditure control committee. The parliament unanimously reprimanded her because her logo appeared on the site of Kazerne Dossin on a project to which the Schlitz department had awarded grants. This is how a politician promotes himself with taxpayers’ money, which is forbidden.
Schlitz apologised, speaking of an “awkwardness” and stressing that she had not asked to use her logo herself. Documents that came out the day after her explanation showed that organisers were indeed asked that question. According to opposition member Sander Loones (N-VA), who also submitted the original complaint to the committee, Schlitz had therefore lied to parliament. N-VA subsequently demanded the secretary of state’s resignation.
Immediately it became clear that she did not get unconditional support from the other Vivaldi parties. Normally, the majority neutralises a demand for dismissal from the opposition by voting a simple motion with high urgency. MR, PS and Vooruit refused Schlitz an easy way out. In De Zevende Dag, Vooruit president Rousseau added to it: he openly questioned whether “she can still function credibly”.
In recent days, new examples of Schlitz’s logo were leaked several times in places where it should not be seen. To make matters worse, her cabinet colleague shared a message on social media linking the N-VA to Nazism.
So Sander Loones has managed to topple yet another state secretary after Eva De Bleeker. Kudos to his parliamentary work.
That’s what ministers/secretaries of state for useless positions are for, no? They are spare ministers to sacrifice as scapegoats, like a lightning conductor to redirect outrage and criticism into a manufactured scandal.
The title is a bit misleading, as they say in the article it’s more about her lying in parliament about how that logo came to be on the building. Other state secretaries have attached logos to projects but that’s a separate discussion to Schlitz lying in parliament.
Fuss about the use of a personal logo, or rather for lying about it in the parliement and approving a support message linking politicians from other parties to nazis (even if she did come back on this approval a few days later)?
It’s like the Clinton stuff from decades ago; Bill was not impeached because of a blowjob, but because he lied about it (after an oath, I think?).
You know you’re not into politics whatsoever when whenever a story like this breaks you go “I have legit never heard of this person”.
It’s me. You is me.
strange how the minute that La derniere heure releases that ecolo knew about this way before it became an issue she had to go.
Ah N-VA crying about the use of a personal logo while having an elderman (schepen/échevine) in Antwerp that is questionable (Ait Daoud), a mayor that has nothing better to do then nag about wholeness while his city is flooded with drugs and drug related violence is common, and Francken that keeps attacking everyone who did his old job.
Anyway Schlitz did make mistakes so only fair that she is gone.
Edit: apparently lots of N-VA fans here. Not surprised
to the people who do not see the issue:
Imagine Van Peteghem putting his logo on all tax return billets in favor of the people.
Again that evil patriarchy holding women accoubtable for their own faults.
Great work by Sander Loones – this is what opposition should be like.
Good riddance – Ecolo realized they got caught
Another day in Belgium, another crooked politician.
Can’t imagine what the rest of their gang does behind the curtains.
Too bad it’s mostly because of her lying. I don’t see how the whole trumpian tactic of promoting yourself by putting your name on popular policies, can be acceptable.
Tbh she never should have had the job, based on the fact that she doesn’t speak both major languages in Belgium.
That goes both ways, tbf. Not speaking at least french and dutch (semi) fluently should disqualify anyone for national office, especially as a minister/secretary of state. German is a plus but not realistic to expect, unfortunately.
Talk about ‘closing the gap’ between people and politicians? Maybe start by making sure that they *literally* speak the same language.
And ‘yes I am aware I don’t speak (insert language) but I will take courses’ is a easy excuse but I don’t buy it. Too easy to use as an umbrella, then wait till the storm settles and never talk about it again.
And it is possible! Di Rupo struggled HARD when he started as PM but I think now he’s pretty decent at speaking Dutch right? Schlitz didn’t even try when she started, waving critics away as “N-VA and VB extremists”. That’s too easy. Unfortunately there’s more than one person in Vivaldi who speaks only one language so I don’t think they’re following my opinion here.
2019: State Secretary Theo Francken (N-VA) is not stepping down after visa scandal but his party decides to leave the federal government for a detail. Ecolo was much more courageous than the Flemish nationalists.
Hey is Mijhneer Frédéric Janssen still in paid vacations of “écartement” ?
Don’t forget this guy threated to kill his employees and harrassed them.
What about Mijnheer Marcourt for his luxury travel spendings in Middle East ? Oh he is now working in SOCOFE a branch of intercommunale NETHYS !
This country as alway: strong with the weaks. Weak with the strongs.
heisa =/= ‘fuss’
anyway it’s more about lying to parlement no?
Er zijn hier in België heel veel politici die boter op hun hoofd hebben.
Ja, wat Schlitz deed was een fout. Maar kom me niet vertellen dat dit geen gemeengoed is in ons huidig politieke systeem.
Ik kan me niet van de indruk ontdoen dat er hier met 2 maten en gewichten gewerkt wordt. Zeker qua persoonlijke marketing voor publieke projecten, maar ook qua liegen in de politiek.