Belgian Anti-poverty networks react to national authorities’ contradictions on poverty

21/03/2014 – The Belgian Anti-Poverty Network (BAPN) and the Flemish Anti-Poverty Network (Netwerk tegen Armoede) reacted to the declarations of Maggie De Block, Belgian Secretary of State for Social Inclusion and the Fight against Poverty, who reacted to the increase in poverty in Belgium (1/5 children in Belgium grows up in poverty, 1/3 in the Brussels Region) by the National Plan for the Fight against Child Poverty. One of the objectives of this Plan is to be readable and accessible for children themselves.However, BAPN and its Flemish regional network point out numerous counterproductive measures taken by the current federal government, clashing with their ‘well-intentioned’ objectives described in the National Plan for the Fight against Child Poverty, as these measures clearly contribute to aggravate poverty:

BAPN is campaigning with three manifestos for the federal (national) and European elections

On 25 May, Belgium will vote at European level but also at Belgian level (for the federal and regional Parliaments). Belgium and Europe need political decision makers who get formally committed for a more social Belgium and Europe, to stop impoverishing policies and take concrete and efficient actions to eradicate poverty in Belgium and Europe. The Belgian Anti-Poverty Network (BAPN) is campaigning with three manifestos for the federal (national) and European elections: