Proposal Regarding the Firing of Ministers: Nay
Decent-Sized Military Proposal: Nay
I must say that the King's announcement has come as quite a surprise. However, I fully support his wish to see Belgium become a republic and believe that if we are to become a truly equal nation we must ensure that our government does not elevate any one person above any of the others. I also support the motion to hold a constitutional convention, as it is necessary if we wish to establish a republic.
As to Mijnheer de Leeuw's proposal to ensure party unity, I must say that it is a step in the right direction for the party. There are several points in it which are sensible, such as preventing members of either wing from insulting each other, though I believe that it should be clarified what exactly constitutes an insult. I do believe that there is the possibility that it could be interpreted to include criticism, which certainly should be allowed to continue so long as it is constructive. However, it misses the biggest issue that our party faces, the one which has created the most contention, and that is in regards to allowing radical leadership. Now, I understand that many of my radical colleagues would think it is undemocratic to only allow moderate members of the party to hold the leadership, but it is in the party's interests to do so. I have spoken with the leaders of the other majors parties, both on the left and the right, and they have all told me that they would find it very difficult or impossible to work with the BSU should it have a radical leader. This is not at all a lie, it is the truth, and as unfortunate as it is we must accept it. This is why my moderate colleagues and I are so concerned with the idea of a radical leader. It would hamper the BSU's ability to cooperate with the other major parties, make it difficult for our party to find itself within a government, and transform the party into a force to be avoided rather than sought after.
I wish this was not true, that other parties would be perfectly willing to work with us under radical leadership as they are under moderate leadership, but this is not how it is. If the BSU is to stay a viable political party, it must stay under moderate leadership. I do not deny the need to give the radicals a voice in the party's leadership, however, and support the motion to ensure that the Deputy Leader of the party is always a radical. The party's various successes can be attributed to the work of its moderate leadership, which has ensured the party's position in two reformist governments, its wide-scale acceptance in Belgian politics, and its ability to work with others to achieve reform. The radicals have also been important, however, and I will not deny that they have contributed to the gaining of popular support for reform, combined with the efforts of the moderate wing of the party and the other reformist parties. But radical leadership would simply be disastrous for the party.
I do not want the radical wing to misinterpret this as message of hatred toward them, as such an interpretation is not true. I may have quarreled with radical socialists in the past, just as they have quarreled with me, but I know that they are socialists just as any moderate is, be it that they are more extreme. This is not out of ill-will toward the radicals, but out of concern for the future of the party. If we are to maintain our status and position as an important party, as a force for reform, and as the voice of the poor and of the workers, we must accept the political realities that our party faces. I do not believe that the party must stay under moderate leadership because I wish to prolong my own leadership. I have led this party for nearly 20 years, and lead its predecessor, the UWP, for nearly 7 years. I deeply care for this party and for socialism, but I am tired of the continued power struggle that our party has faced for years, which has threatened not only our party but the government our party currently finds itself in as well. I strongly desire for our two wings to work together to help advance our cause, but this cannot happen with the constant threat that our party will suddenly find itself isolated from the other parties because of a sudden change in leadership. We must come to an agreement to ensure party unity, but this requires compromise on the part of both wings of our party. I am willing do what it takes to ensure the cooperation necessary, but it relies on the willingness of Mijnheer de Leeuw and the other radical socialists to accept the reality of the situation, that our party can only thrive if it remains under moderate leadership with a radical as Deputy Leader and if both wings work together, regardless of the personal ambitions of their members, to do what it takes to ensure that the BSU stays united and strong.
As I speak the forces of the right are mobilizing against us, the Beauffortists have risen again to attack all that we stand for, our progressive ideals, our commitment to reform, and our support of equality and of the workers. While its appears to be less aggressive that the Beauffortism of the past, who knows if it shall, in the end, turn to its roots and seek to extinguish our beliefs, to banish us, and to force us to throw off our proud labels as socialists or face persecution. If we are to stand up to this we unite, we must not let idealism and stubbornness prevent compromise, and we must fight for what unites us, not what divides us. I have hope that we can work together, that we can make the right decision and pave the way for a bright future for the BSU, for socialism, and for the workers. All that stands in the way of this is a willingness to make the tough choices, to set aside power for unity, and to do what it takes to keep us united in a pivotal time for our party, for our cause, and for Belgium.
~ Christiaan Loewen, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Justice, and Leader of the BSU
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