Jean-Luc Crucke announced on Monday that he was going to quit his post as Budget Minister in the Walloon government. He is a candidate for a post of judge within the Constitutional Court.
Thunderclap in the French-speaking political landscape this Monday morning. After being disowned by some of the MR deputies and their president Georges-Louis Bouchez as part of the incredible tax decree saga Walloon before the holidays, Jean-Luc Crucke carries out his threat. At a surprise press conference, he announced his resignation as Minister of the Budget in the Walloon government. At the same time, he left political life …
“My convictions which, make no mistake, are liberal convictions, however, no longer fully align with my party line.”
“I had said that I would take advantage of the respite at the end of the year to take stock. This Monday, January 3, I submitted my resignation to my party president.” The government’s PS and Ecolo partners were informed on Monday morning.
Opinions “on the margins” of the MR
Faithful to his political line, Jean-Luc Crucke explains that he is no longer in phase with that of his party. “The political tension brought regarding by the ‘fairer tax’ decree led me to a very simple conclusion. My convictions, which, make no mistake, are convictions liberal, however more in line with my party line.”
He therefore draws the conclusions. “I always had opinions that were qualified as marginal within my political training, particularly in terms of climate, migration, energy, but also, and now also, fiscal. So far, that was also my strength. But this now puts my party, but also by extension the government majority, sometimes in difficulty. I can negotiate, concede, shout, block, advance… but in no way dilute myself.“
It will be in the wake of candidate of the MR for a post of judge in the Constitutional Court whose appointment should take place at the end of the first semester.
We can speak of an earthquake, both for the Walloon government and for the MR.
Liberal bronca
For the most distracted, we have to go back to December 7 to understand the unfolding of this political saga partly at the origin of this resignation. It originates in a tax decree which targets in particular the taxation of commercial vehicles and registration fees due on donations.
Behind the scenes, the halt was given by the liberal president Georges-Louis Bouchez who wanted to review the text.
That Monday, Jean-Luc Crucke is in parliament. The deputies should, a priori, examine and vote for his draft tax decree. But nothing is going as he would have liked. The text is withdrawn. The minister will finally have this little sentence: “I will draw the conclusions, when the time comes“. He will pronounce these words, letting his resignation hover, following the bronca liberal deputies who consider his draft tax decree simply undrinkable.
Behind the scenes, the stop was given by Georges-Louis Bouchez who wanted to review the text.
The Walloon majority in turmoil
“To be a minister is to be of service, not in power. You must never forget it in order to remain lucid.”
After several days of negotiations, the entire government found itself caught in the Crucke whirlwind. PS and Ecolo do not rule out a change of majority if the decree is not adopted by the MR. The text will finally be voted on before the Christmas truce by all the members of the majority, including the Liberals. “To preserve the stability of the regional government”, later said Georges-Louis Bouchez.
But for Jean-Luc Crucke, the damage is done. “The episode of November / December testified to me that we no longer spoke of the substance and my personality weighed heavily in this excitement.“He concludes by asserting” thatto be a minister is to be of service, not of power. We must never forget it to stay lucid.”
Who to succeed him?
We should know the name of his successor on Tuesday morning. Several personalities stood out from Monday in the liberal comments. An element of analysis that comes up with insistence: the possible desire of the presidency to allay the frustration of the MR from Liège, still led by the stainless Daniel Bacquelaine but who has not been represented in a government since 2019.
Among the candidates to succeed Jean-Luc Crucke are the names of Philippe Goffin, Mathieu Bihet, Diana Nikolic, Maxime Daye, Rachel Sobry and Denis Ducarme.
Are cited Philippe Goffin, former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Defense and Member of Parliament for Crisnée, as well as his Deputy in the House, Mathieu Bihet. The Walloon deputy Diana Nikolic is also present in the debate.
On the boring side, where we fear an under-representation following the departure of Crucke, we quote Maxime Daye. This other close to Bouchez is mayor of Braine-le-Comte and current president of the Union of Walloon towns and municipalities. The same goes for the Walloon deputy Rachel Sobry.
This being said, we must not forget the natural candidate that remains Denis Ducarme who had already failed to integrate the team of Elio Di Rupo at the expense of Nathalie De Bue. Will he have better luck this time? Its historically very right-handed profile should however only appeal very moderately to the PS and Ecolo partners in the Walloon majority.
As for Jean-Luc Crucke, released from politics, he aspires to find a little time to teach, write, even cross Iran on foot…
