During the two weeks that have just passed, we learned, sometimes with surprise, that old socialist representatives would soon inherit interesting mandates. Francis Bekaert, mayor leaving Seraing, should become administrator of Luminus while accumulating two half-time in ministerial offices. For his part, Jean-Claude Marcourt, Walloon deputy, former minister and former President of the Walloon Parliament would be appointed administrator at Socofe and Fluxys. Why have such choices been made in recent days?
The first reason is the internal electoral deadlines of the PS, which is renewing its bodies in the various federations. Political life, whether we like it or not, is made up of balances. It is therefore necessary to take care of everyone’s susceptibilities.
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For Francis Bekaert, this is a consolation prize. This trained pharmacist, elected mayor of Seraing in 2018, has agreed to leave his place as mayor in the coming days to a young shoot of the party. In this case, to Déborah Géradon who also sits within the governing bodies of the Liège federation. This whole succession affair aims above all – and it is an old habit in politics – to prepare the ground for future municipal elections. The PS chose Géradon to draw the future of Seraing where Alain Mathot reigned supreme until 2018 before being swept away by the Intradel incinerator affair. It is therefore a question of giving him the visibility which should allow his re-election at the head of the commune.
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Bekaert sacrificed on the altar of the future of the PS in Seraing
Remember that Francis Bekaert had been the subject, at the time, of a consensus between the different sections of the PS sérésien who were torn around the succession of Alain Mathot. The latter, entangled in business, withdrew from political life, leaving the head of the lists for the 2018 municipal elections free. Seraing. The other camp supported Déborah Géradon. To calm everyone, Francis Bekaert was then out of the hat. His main advantage residing above all in the fact that his political career was already behind him. His designation as head of the list and his election as mayor made it possible to wait calmly to see whether Alain Mathot might return or not to the local political game. Mathot having been sidelined by the courts, the way was cleared for Déborah Géradon (2nd socialist score in the municipal elections). It was therefore necessary to reward Bekaert for his sacrifice and allow him, also to maintain a salary equal to that which he received as mayor. In the future, he will sit at Luminus (30,000 euros per year) and will work part-time with the Minister (Liège) and Walloon, Christie Morreale and part-time with Frédéric Daerden who, in addition to his duties as President of the Fédération is also a minister in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation.
The Marcourt case is different. The one who, when he was Walloon Minister of the Economy, was one of the members of the club of five (Marcourt, Moreau, Gilles, Demeyer and Mathot) reigning unchallenged over the Liège PS has seen his star fade in recent years . Because of the Publifin affair, first, in which he had an ambiguous role. Was he one ofinvisible hands” denounced by the former management of Nethys who would have covered the actions of Moreau and others? An ongoing investigation will have to determine this. Still, his mandate as Walloon minister was not renewed following the 2019 regional election. He will then inherit the presidency of the Walloon Parliament. A position he had to leave a few months ago because of the clerk’s affair and which constitutes the other side of his political decline.
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It must however be believed that these stains on his CV do not reduce to nothing what remains to him as a power of influence within the Liège PS Federation. If we were bold, we wouldn’t hesitate to affirm that the mandates at Socofe and at Fluxys which are now promised to it, constitute the price paid by the PS following its resignation from the Walloon perch.