The financial sustainability of care is under pressure, both for the state and the patient. In Belgium only Flanders takes some cautious steps forward to tap sufficient financial resources for care in the future.

Marc De Vos criticizes the European Growth Pact. The Pact is an empty box of wishful thinking that at best will have a homeopathic effect. The severity of the euro-crisis is once again being denied.

Herman Matthijs is in favour of the Anglosaxon spoils system as an open, honest system for the appointment of top civil servants. The candidates have to demonstrate their knowledge for the concerned field before the competent parliamentary commission.

Economic fundamentals tend to favor Europe core countries against peripheral ones. An ever increasing economic integration in Europe will reinforce this phenomenon. Laurent Hanseeuw explains these evolutions and clarifies why the solidarity attached to such trends should be rather debated.

First there is a need for a better timing of the austerity and more forcefull reforms. Next the international Diktat has to gain approval of the population who is conscious of the injustices and knows the status quo is not an option.

If we want to increase the performance of government services, more is needed than just the introduction of new systems of information treatment. Too often one limits oneself to just automating existing paper-based processes.

In order to enable sufficient investments, one can reintroduce the old technique of an ordinary and extraordinary budget. Together with a minimum percentage of investments in the total expenditure in the budget rule book.

Marc De Vos recognizes the need to counter the effects of necessary austerity measures, but warns that a period of limited growth is as good as unavoidable. Stringent budgetary targets are necessary to make growth durable again.