2024-01-13 06:13:00
For a surprise, it’s a surprise! A little over a year ago, he ranted that he and politics were OVER. Frustrated. Bitter. To make a contribution, there will always be its humanitarian association “Objectif Ô” which helps people around the world who do not have access to drinking water.
In the end, here he is back. Jean-Denis Lejeune will be a candidate on the European “Les Engagés” list. The choice of party is also a little surprise as it seemed to have a big stake in the CDH. “It’s true. But you know, there are fake hopefuls and bullshitters in all parties. As there are good people in everyone too,” he puts things into perspective today. “I will no longer be a candidate in 2024, I no longer want to be the vote-maker who never gets anything. I am finishing my mandates as municipal councilor in Flemalle and provincial councilor and that’s it,” he announced to our colleagues at Sudinfo in November 2022. “It’s time to say stop from the moment you do something which no longer excites you.”
Jean-Denis Lejeune, 24 years following the disappearance of his daughter: “I always fought but not everyone wanted to hear”
Certainly, his decision at the time was announced “irrevocable” but he still said in a text message that “for the commune of Flémalle, for the Region or the federal government, it’s over”. Here he is in Europe, in the advantageous last place on the list, the one that pushes.
Jean-Denis Lejeune was a federal candidate in 2010 and 2014.
“When I think back on this period, I tell myself that I was used as a voice trap but without giving me anything in return. I was in a so-called ‘combat’ position with no possibility of being elected regardless of the number of votes. A perverse effect of partocracy. The votes, I have always done them (for example 11,458 votes while being 3rd on the list in the Chamber in the province of Liège in 2014, i.e. the 2nd score on the CDH list, Editor’s note). But I was positioned so that the votes benefited the party more than me. I was not well aware of the party’s strategy, its intentions. They might have put me as first alternate. It would then have been enough for an elected official to become a minister for me to be able to sit in the House. I really wanted it.”
If necessary, it is to Justice, the Interior, the police, security that the father of Julie, victim of Marc Dutroux, would have devoted his energy: “I wanted to shoot in the anthill. I found, and still find, that in matters of Justice, of the police, things have not progressed very quickly since 1995. For example, in terms of the rights of victims’ families during conditional release. However, there are plenty of lawyers elected to the House. But that doesn’t speed things up. There is a lack of common people. I wanted to put people at the center of concerns. I was not given the opportunity.”
“Belgian justice not adapted to reality”: Jean-Denis Lejeune reacts following the destruction of Marc Dutroux’s house
Why this return to business? And in the same party moreover, even if the name and the president have changed?
“It’s the fruit of an encounter. I spoke at length with Yvan Verougstraete, our head of list for Europe. He comes from civil society (founder of the (para) pharmacy chain Medi-Market, Editor’s note). He was elected ‘Manager of the Year’ in 2019. He decided to get involved in politics to make things happen. I discovered a person of values, full of enthusiasm and good ideas. He will be particularly involved in areas related to Justice. We often think that it is only at the national level that this matter is regulated. It’s wrong. Europe is changing, there are many challenges that cannot be resolved at the federal level. I am thinking, for example, of the fight once morest cybercrime, once morest attacks on this level from Russia and China, for example, or once morest child pornography. The bandits are always one step ahead of the police. We are in reaction rather than action. We need a strong Europe and Yvan Verougstraete is also convinced of this. And then, war is our door. Our hope is to have an elected official. I am not in an eligible place but I want to help him in this objective by giving him my support and my votes. If I can add something more… It’s unconditional support for someone who has a strong ideal.”
Yvan Verougstraete, Vice President of the Les Engagés party ©cameriere ennioYvan Verougstraete joins Les Engagés and wants to make it a winning political enterprise
With, in return, a guaranteed employee position in the event of a seat obtained?
“We didn’t discuss it. But why not ? The door is open…”
gull
“Communal councilor in Flemalle where the socialists have been in the absolute majority for more than 110 years, it’s not worth it. Everything is decided in advance.”
At the municipal level, on the other hand, Jean-Denis Lejeune will not turn back. Being a candidate in 2024 is out of the question.
“I was a municipal councilor for 12 years in Flémalle where the socialists have been in the absolute majority for more than one hundred and ten years. Everything was decided in advance. For me, there was no room for challenge, to move things forward. There are valuable people on the municipal council but it’s a wasted effort. On the other hand, it is likely that I will present myself to the Province.”
Jean-Denis Lejeune’s first experience in politics dates back to 2010.
After 1995 and the tragedy that hit him hard, Jean-Denis Lejeune founded Child Focus then worked for five years for Children’s Rights. Before finally resigning to join the CDH of Joëlle Milquet who had then achieved a nice coup by bringing to the centrists this strong personality who was also the envy of the PS.
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