The trip by Catalan president Carles Puigdemont and a number of his ministers to Brussels has this Monday sent Belgian politics reeling. The fact that the news comes the days after Belgian Immigration minister Theo Francken, showed himself open to conceding political asylum to Puigdemont, and the possibility of the president meeting with Flemish leaders, has put the country's politicians on alert.
Despite the Nieuw-Vlaamse Alliantie (N-VA, New Flemish Alliance), a Flemish nationalist party, saying they had no meetings planned with the Catalan president, and that they hadn't invited him, opposition parties have asked for explanations from the country's prime minister, Charles Michel. Belgium is governed by a coalition of four parties, which includes N-VA.
Politicians took to Twitter to comment on the visit, like former prime minister and president of the Socialist Party, Elio Di Rupo.
Translation: It's urgent that Charles Michel provides explanations about the probable visit of the Puigdemont delegation to Brussels.
Belgium's international credibility is at stake.
The former prime minister wasn't the only one to comment. Catherine Fonck, leader of the Humanist Democratic Centre was similarly negative.
Francken knew that Puigdemont was going to request asylum. And Charles Michel accepts to play along with N-VA? Very serious.
The prime minister should put a stop to it. Enough of this complicity with pro-independence Catalan politicians! Respect the rule of law.
Ecolo, a French-speaking green party called on the Parliament's speaker to call Michel to give an explanation to the chamber, and their co-president, Zakia Khattabi, gave her own comment via Twitter.
In the end Francken is the pyromaniac firefighter... He's ended up causing himself this notorious influx of Puigdemont and his 5 ministers...
In the face of the controversy, the Belgian government has avoided making any statements, keeping a low profile. Currently, Charles Michel's spokesperson has said that he will give no comment on Puigdemont's presence in Belgium, according to the political editor at Le Soir, Bernard Demonty.
Charles Michel's spokesperson on Puigdemont's presence in Brussels: "No comment".
For their part, the N-VA denies that their party invited Puigdemont.
N-VA denies that Puigdemont was invited on their initiative. "If he's in Brussels, it's certainly not at our invitation."
The spokesperson of the Flemish nationalists, N-VA, Bram Bombeek, comes out to refute that Puigdemont is in their headquarters.