Thomas Dermine was the guest of Pascal Vrebos this Sunday on RTL TVI. The Federal Secretary of State for Recovery and Strategic Investments, in charge of Science Policy, was questioned in particular regarding Charleroi.
A week ago, Denis Ducarme, elected from the MR who displays his ambition to become mayor of the city, criticized the management of the PS carolo: “After decades of socialist mayorship, the evidence has not been made in terms of employment rates. 53% employment rate. One in two people of working age do not work. A dwindling life expectancy. In terms of insecurity, we dispute the palm with Liège“.
Pascal Vrebos: He repeats it, socialism seriously harms health, like cancer. What do you answer him?
Thomas Dermine: I would like Mr. Ducarme to use Charleroi as an end and not as a means for his political career.
Pascal Vrebos: But is his diagnosis correct or not?
Thomas Dermine: Yes, our city is having difficulties, because we are an old industrial city, but there are also a lot of projects. You know, Charleroi, me, it’s been my fight for more than five years. I came back, I had an international career, to deal with economic development in Charleroi. Result of the facts: we have today in Charleroi economic development projects in sectors, whether in digital, biotechnologies, transport, which are absolutely magnificent. With job creation announcements every two weeks. We remain with a difficult movement, like many industrial cities, but in any case we are carrying out projects. So my message for Mr. Ducarme is very clear: use Charleroi as an end in itself, as a project, and not as a means for your political career. And please, rather than denigrating the Carolos and the situation in Charleroi, set up projects, go ahead, because that’s how we change reality, and not by remaining critical sterile.