Daphné Dumery

Member of Parliament in the Belgian federal Chamber of Representatives.

Born january 4th 1974 in Blankenberge.
Married to Steve and mother of one daughter, Robine.
Lives in Blankenberge (Flanders)

• Member of the committee for Foreign Relations
• Member of the committee for Review of the Constitution
• Member of the committee for the Naturalisations
• Member of the special committee on Sexual Abuse
• Member of the advisory committee for European Affairs
• Member of the parliamentary assembly of the West-European Union
• Member of the parliamentary assembly of the Council of Europe

My vision

Blankenberge and the coast

Tourism and trade are inextricably connected to each other. An innovative economy attracts tourists and ensures employment. To give this trade a chance the government cannot act restrictivly. Local government should consider with every measure: “is this a good measure for small, local businesses?” The local government has a key role to play concerning regulating the implantation of large commercial chains and suburban malls. They affect the convivial shopping in the coastal city with its typical small shops and ventures.
Aside from this the Flemish government has to campaign to make living at the coast attractive for young families. The coastal cities have good schools, child care and the hinterland is easily accessible with public transport and the central cities are in the immediate proximity. This would be a good tool to tackle the problem of the aging coastal population.

West-Flanders

The port of Zeebrugge is expanding and is the most important gateway for the import and export of cars. This port plays a crucial role in our economy. That’s why I am in favor of the broadening of the Schipdonk Canal. By connecting the port of Zeebrugge to the Seine-Scheldt-route we ensure a better digestion of the roads in the Bruges area by reducing road bound container traffic. This improves the mobility as well as the environment.
West-Flanders has a touristic policy that need to be broadened. We must ensure that our coast, Bruges, the war patrimony in Flanders’ Fields and farm tourism are supported an promoted within our borders and abroad. Tourism is indeed vital for the employment in our province.
The Euregion around the axle Tournai-Kortrijk-Lille is an element that enforces our province as well. Every day workers come from Northern-France and the Walloon province of Hainaut to work in West-Flanders. They help build our economy and provide our small businesses and larger enterprises with  their labor and knowledge.
Finally the Flemish government has to put effort in stopping the brain drain of our province. This can be done by offering qualitative higher education. Now all too often West-Flemings establish themselves in the city where they studied. A good example is the many West-Flemings in Ghent.

Flanders

I believe in a Flanders that is economically strong and that takes care of the wellbeing and the prosperity of all of its citizens. Our region must take care of the solidity of our society and watch over its public culture, norms and values. Flanders must also take up its role internationally as a Belgian member state and later as a full member state of the European Union.
Flanders must be a hospitable society, open for newcomers, giving all chances to develop themselves and strengthen our mutual economic and social prosperity.
To achieve these goals a new step in the Belgian state reform is inevitable. Although the N-VA strives for an independent Flanders as a member state of the European Union I am convinced that this process will have to be executed step by step. A revolution serves no one. I strive for an evolution in which ever more competences are transferred from the federal state to the micro-level (Flanders) and the macro-level (Europe). This way the federal Belgium will evaporate between both.

Europe

I am not an advocate of a new (wild) enlargement of the European Union. We have to strive for a further deepening and qualitative extension of the current European institutions. The Union must be more than just one common market. We must strive for a real political Union. I do not back Turkey’s claim to become a member of the European Union. Turkey can and must, however, become a privileged partner of the EU.

In Europe we must, with our partners in the European Free Alliance, strive to a Europe of the regions. It is my assessment that everywhere in the Union regionalist  parties arise that, together with the N-VA, help accomplish that goal on a European level.
The theme of migration has to be addressed on a European level. As long as the member states can have their own, independent, policies this issue cannot be solved. As long as there are differences between the member states there will be migration shopping. At this time, for example, the European guidelines about family reunion are much too non-committal.