2023-05-31 11:17:00
The Walloon deputy André Antoine (Engaged) had no answer to his questions following spending a month questioning ministers. Willy Borsus referred to Christophe Collignon, who referred to Adrien Dolimont… who referred to Borsus or Collignon, “or both”. Back to a ludicrous situation.
For a month now, André Antoine has been worried regarding a situation that he defines as “illegal” around Charleroi airport – BSCA – of which he was minister in his time: the former Caterpillar site, neighboring the airport and managed by SORESIC (Wallonie Entreprendre and Igretec), has made available two plots of land to private companies, which operate a 1,400-space car park there for passengers traveling from the airport. Problem, for André Antoine, “not only was this done without a public contract or competition, which is illegal, but it also creates unfair competition for the airport, which has to pay expensive and ugly land on which it operates its own car parks.”
- On April 4, 2023, he questioned Willy Borsus, in charge of the Economy (and therefore who is responsible for Wallonie Entreprendre), to find out his legal reading of the file. The minister declared himself incompetent on questions of legality and sent him back to Christophe Collignon.
- On April 18, 2023, André Antoine questioned Christophe Collignon, in charge of Local Authorities (and therefore who is responsible for Igretec), to find out his legal reading of the file. The Minister recalled the general principles of legality – “the granting of a lease is a priori not subject to public procurement, but I have not received any complaint on this issue” – while declaring itself incompetent on the question of airports and referring to Adrien Dolimont.
- On April 30, 2023, the Engaged deputy questioned Adrien Dolimont, in charge of Airports (and therefore who is responsible for BSCA), to find out his legal reading of the file. The minister said he “supported BSCA, which has already challenged Igretec on the issue, on the defense of its sources of income”, but that he had no skills on industrial sites. He therefore referred to Christophe Collignon or Willy Borsus, “or both”.
“So if I sum up, no one in this government is responsible?” wondered André Antoine in committee. “On dit : “It’s not me, it’s my neighbour. And if it’s not him, it’s another neighbor. Well, as long as it’s not me, everything’s fine”… I do not tolerate this, there is a series of abuses, there is a situation outside the legal framework, and we are investing massively in our airport while declaring ourselves a region of law, but nobody wants to defend anything either ? Charleroi airport has repeatedly alerted to the situation. There are even complaints filed. And nothing.” He will therefore question Ministers Collignon and Borsus once more, before turning to Elio Di Rupo or considering other actions.
We asked the question directly to Igretec, which manages the land of the ex-Caterpillar site since its acquisition for a symbolic €1. Are the accusations of illegality founded, as André Antoine thinks? “Absolutely not”according to the spokesperson. “You don’t need a public market to rent our real estate spaces. We can compare a parking slab to a building or to the relay halls that we make available to economic players throughout the territory… We do not make a public contract to rent a laboratory at the aeropole, for example. We respond to market demands: if we are contacted to rent a property, we plan a lease and sign it if we believe it is good for the economic development of the region. It’s the same principle here, but with a precarious lease, since the ultimate goal is to sell the land to Caterpillar.”
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