Club Brugge President Bart Verhaeghe Rejects Belgian Tax Proposals
Club Brugge president Bart Verhaeghe rejected proposed tax increases on entrepreneurs and large fortunes during an appearance on the VRT television program De Afspraak, arguing that the tax burden in Belgium is already among the highest in the world. His remarks come as the federal government looks for funds to balance the national budget, with political figures debating whether high-income earners should contribute more to protect public services and pensions.
The debate centers on proposals from Vooruit party leader Conner Rousseau, who has called for raising 1.5 billion euros from high-income earners and large fortunes to avoid making spending cuts in healthcare and pensions. Verhaeghe strongly opposed that approach during his television appearance, stating that individuals who take financial risks and build businesses are already heavily penalized by the state. “The strongest shoulders in our country are already the most taxed in the world,” Verhaeghe said. “They are already paying the most burdens. Are you going to completely disgust them?”
Verhaeghe Criticizes Political Stigmatization of Entrepreneurs
Expanding on his criticism, Verhaeghe warned against what he views as a growing political stigmatization of successful business owners and entrepreneurs in Belgium. He used a vivid home heating metaphor to illustrate his point about the potential consequences of higher levies on wealth generation. “Are you going to completely extinguish the stove that gives the most heat in the house by stigmatizing those people even more and taxing them even more, with a swimming pool story, or I don’t know what else?” he asked on Canvas.
The Club Brugge chairman also pointed to his own substantial financial contributions to the public treasury through his various business ventures. Verhaeghe stated that he already pays tens of millions of euros in taxes annually, emphasizing that he believes he contributes a significant share. “Please: no new taxes, no new burdens,” Verhaeghe told the program. “We are the world champion. Stop it.”
Government Efficiency and Social Security Reform
Rather than increasing the tax burden on businesses and investors, Verhaeghe argued that the Belgian federal government should focus on running its state apparatus and social security systems more efficiently. He claimed that the public system currently allows individuals to benefit improperly, while citizens who genuinely require assistance do not receive adequate support from society.
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“The truly sick, and I find that so unjust, simultaneously have far too little,” Verhaeghe said. “This society looks after the actual unfortunates far too little.” The businessman also suggested that if he had been allowed to run the state administration himself, he might have been able to return more resources directly to the public.
Budgetary Pressures and Upcoming Fiscal Decisions
The federal government continues its search for funds to stabilize public finances, keeping the debate over fiscal contributions from high earners at the forefront of Belgian politics. While political leaders weigh targeted levies on large fortunes to protect social welfare programs, prominent business leaders like Verhaeghe maintain that increased fiscal pressure will ultimately damage national prosperity and discourage enterprise.
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