2023-09-22 04:31:00
“We had 13 MR deputies elected to the Brussels Parliament in 2019, we now have 16. At this rate, David Leisterh will be Minister-President of Brussels before the 2024 elections,” jokes Georges-Louis Bouchez, president of the MR.
After recruiting Brussels MP CDH Bertin Mampaka in 2020, then Défi MP Sadik Köksal in June 2023, the MR announced to La Libre the transfer of Brussels MP Ariane de Lobkowicz.
The MR becomes the leading party in Brussels
Coming in third position in the 2019 elections, the MR now constitutes, thanks to the magic of the defectors, the main political party in the Brussels Parliament (16 seats, one more than the PS and Ecolo). This will not fundamentally change the balance within the parliamentary assembly. But the MR sends a signal.
“This should allow us to have sufficient strike force to slow down, or even stop, certain projects of the Brussels government,” assures David Leisterh, group leader of the party in the Brussels Parliament.
“We are thus showing the good health of the MR, which has the best dynamics in Brussels,” adds the president. Ariane has an extremely interesting profile. She was the youngest parliamentarian in the country, at 23.”
At Défi, the Uccloise (27 years old) stood out for her involvement in the field of defending animal welfare. “It was I who tabled the Brussels ordinance proposal aimed at banning slaughter without stunning, with Jonathan de Patoul. The problem is that this subject has been exploited for religious reasons,” regrets Ariane de Lobkowicz, who defines herself as “social liberal.”
Ritual slaughter in Brussels: which MEPs voted for, once morest or abstained?
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Secularism, in the end, means little to me. This is a non-question. The topic of slaughter is important to me, but from the angle of animal cruelty. This was a purely Brussels problem and we had the power to change things. But this text was rejected by two votes, because of four people from my party (Défi) who did not support it.”
“Secularism, in the end, means little to me. This is a non-question. The theme of slaughter is important to me, but from the angle of animal cruelty, she continues. This was a purely Brussels problem and we had the power to change things. But this text was rejected by almost two votes, because of four people from my party (Défi) who did not support it… Slaughter is cruelty towards animals who asked for nothing and suffer monstrously because of electoralism.”
The young woman recognizes “her disillusionment” with the discovery, 4 years ago, of parliamentary life. She says she is convinced, despite everything, that her presence in Parliament “made it possible to advance” the cause of animal welfare.
“I have no animosity towards Défi, which gave me my chance,” she emphasizes once more. But the MR is the party that will best allow me to defend my values. At Défi, there was a lot more discussion on the issue of slaughter. And it was finally decided to give MPs the freedom to vote on a text that we had tabled. The MR adopted a clear position and did not move.”
The Liberal Party, however, did not vote as one for the ordinance prohibiting slaughter without stunning. Two of its elected officials abstained, while Sadik Koksal, recruited well following the vote, even voted once morest the text. “This point was clearly raised with Sadik. In our country, it is strictly forbidden to vote once morest this text, under penalty of exclusion,” assures Georges-Louis Bouchez.
The MR makes no secret of it: if he manages to join the next Brussels majority, he will put this text back on the table.
She “made” her seat
Beyond this issue, the MR is carrying out, with this new arrival, an interesting political operation. It will strengthen the list of the mayor of Uccle, Boris Dilliès, as well as the regional list. Because Ariane de Lobkowicz, who bears the title of princess, brings with her an appreciable network and significant electoral weight.
Elected with 2,746 votes, this computer graphics graduate created a surprise in 2019 by obtaining the 5th best score in the regional Défi list, while she only appeared in 48th position. This is more than his former group leader, Emmanuel De Bock.
The MR is also continuing its attempt to siphon off its ex-partner FDF, which now only has 9 deputies. “There is no takeover bid for Défi. Quite simply, parliamentarians are asking themselves questions, both at home and among the Engagés. But we are not doing poaching,” assures the president of the MR.
“Each time, these are people who came to contact us on their own,” adds David Leisterh.
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“Both in Flanders and in French-speaking Belgium, there are one or two parties too many, in the sense that they do not create a sufficiently strong difference with the already existing offer. Today, if we do not constitute a center-right strength at 30-35% on a regular basis, there is no possibility of structural change.”
There is no poaching, they say. But the Montois believes that, “both in Flanders and in French-speaking Belgium, there are one or two parties too many, in the sense that they do not create a sufficiently strong difference with the already existing offer”.
“I am convinced of the necessary recomposition of the political landscape,” continues Georges-Louis Bouchez. Belly dancing in front of the PS only benefits the left. The points in common between Défi and us on employment, the economy, neutrality, even mobility, are still greater than with PS and Ecolo. We are not going to overplay our differences. Today, if we do not constitute a center-right force at 30-35% on a regular basis, there is no possibility of structural change for Wallonia and Brussels.”
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