"Difficult parquet, but mainly insinuations": how Annelies Verlinden's position (for now) is not at risk in the i-Police debacle

The failed i-Police digitalization project cost €139.4 million instead of the projected €76 million, putting Minister Annelies Verlinden under scrutiny. Despite allegations of potential conflicts of interest due to her previous work with Sopra Steria, experts believe her political position remains secure for now. Support from her party, CD&V, is strong, particularly because of her popularity in Antwerp. Critics highlight the reckless spending of taxpayer money, with the federal government spending €2.5 billion on consultancy from 2020 to 2022, primarily on IT services. The situation raises questions about government accountability and the handling of public funds.