vrijdag 8 juli 2011

Bart De Wever, You Can Go The Distance



For all the unknown souls out here who do not happen to know that Belgium still has got no government I just want to tell you that this must be such a good feeling. I am even envious of that experience. Must feel so good not to be aware of a lethal situation. For a while I have even tried to ignore the whole thing because P was so fed up with facing a Stallie who was going ballestic at the dinner table.

He then just sits there reading the newspaper and sometimes looks up in bewilderment when I seem to run through the kitchen with me hands in the air. P then just stares at me and wonders what all the fuzz is about. I am then ready to throw some pasta at him or just pour some red wine at his blue shirt.

Yes, I can't help it but I do get in a total fit lately when I have to listen, watch or read some political news. Yesterday a friend of mine did point out that she does think that Bart De Wever (the frontman of the NVA, the political party who on Flemish side won the election in June 2010) did for sure study very well the political 'NOTA' before calling a press conference.

Oh yes, he did! For all the people who do think that they know everything about people who are into politics. You have not met Bart yet. He is a whole new kind of politician. Bart is unique and you just can not read his face. Very quick with the mind (body mass index wise he also will break a world record but he happend to live in a nation where the food makes you just grave for more!) and smart. Bart almost became 'the smartest' person of the world by participating in one of our most popular knowledge quizzes for BV (Wellknown Belgians.

It was also during this TV-show that I for the very first time met up with a Bart who showed some of his less known sides of his personality. I saw a guy who had the urge to win. Bart seems to hate losing to people who play the game differently and who are bending the rules. When he lost the final game to a very popular and rather hot looking TV-news reader his face just told it all.

Bart has got his principles and sticks to them. No matter what. The day he signed up for politics he must have been aware that sticking to your guns is not that easy in the political jungle. You have to give it to him that he is all out there by himself. Okay, he has got a political party who is backing him up no matter what. But still!

The thing is that I do think that Bart is just the kind of person who have fitted more into a different time era then the present political arena. Bart has got a masters in history. This guy knows everything about the Romans and many other historical times. When he got married and left city hall there were outside waiting for him and his family saltuting Roman soldiers.

And Bart does know his classics so well. This is a guy who can quote most of the Romans with his eyes closed. Oneliners that can stand the time and do so well fit into political speeches. Bart picks out the best lines created by 'dead' people to get his point across. He knows that these words might make the difference and that these lines will stick around a bit longer then the weather forecast.

So Bart his star is on the rise. For the moment he is the most popular and unpopular poltician of my nation. He is the guy who is having an appointment with the history books. You can read the signs. People are after him and listen very carefully to him when he speaks up his mind. Bart is here to stay. But the very difficult thing to understand for many is that he is not after becoming our prime minister.

I must admit that I do have a very hard time picturing this fellow walking next Sarkozy or shaking the hands of Obama. A pregnant Carla Bruni will vanish next to him! Crash diets are something Bart does not believe in and he will never sacrifice his 'puntzak' of French Fries to fitting in a designer's suit of a smaller size.

Still, Bart is only human. He is admits that all this political 'circus' does keep him awake. He does say that he has got moments that he has got the impression that he does not know what to do. No, even at the NVA there is nobody who masters the skill of foretelling the future. It does make him feel a bit helpless but he is so backed up by his partymembers that it seems to grant him heroic features.

Bart does have feelings. I have seen them all over his face. There is even this one moment in time that the very stuborn politician gave into his emotions. These were so obvious to pick up when he was out there in front of the casket of Marie Rose Morel. The heavy weight politician then openly admited what politics had done to their friendship. For the eyes of so many Bart De Wever used the word arrogance. I can tell you that made me shiver. In front of the church was standing a guy who was so aware of the destroying forces politics can cause. Regret was not far off during that speech.

In my very honest and personal opinion he is almost what we call an anti-hero. Not a 'Tin-tin' or a 'Rode Ridder'. He does not even come close to 'Lucky Luke' and has nothing in common with 'Jommeke'. Bart is after something that is hard to see that might take a life time out there in the political arena.

Bart wants to be taken serious and to be taken in consideration when it comes down to some very crucial political issues. Bart is a league of his own. The guy stands like a rock! Uhm, I guess that the closest he gets to a cartoon character is Obelix. We all know that Obelix is never granted the honor to drink of the secret potion and that his force is beyond any words. Very fitting images for a Flemish politician who has this thing going for historical tales.

I do think that my friend K was right to say that Bart did take a very close look at what Di Rupo had written down before saying yes or no. 'Yes, you are right about that. But still... I do think that he should stop quoting all these Roman politicians and writers. After all most of them ended up getting killed or died in suspicious circumstances!'

Bart you can be sure that you are getting your point across. And even Obelix cries once in a while and feels sorry for himself. It makes you so human, Bart. My respect as a human being you already have gained. The reputation of being a very wise Belgian politician you still need to deserve but you are going the distance. Uhm, Herculus did go the distance and look were it brought him. But then he is a Greec hero! But I bet that you do not mind being compared to a hero who first had to take care of twelve things before being shot into the sky.


Geen opmerkingen: