Questioned by the federalist association B Plus on institutional issues, he also pleads for a single federal constituency in which the Prime Minister would be elected. The government agreement in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation plans to launch a debate on the compulsory learning of one of the two other national languages (Dutch or German). Ecolo has already taken a stand in this direction. Thursday, it is the turn of the president of the liberals who, himself, does not master enough Dutch to express himself fluently in this language.
“I also want, on the French-speaking side, learning Dutch to be compulsory. I am the fruit of this absence of obligation and that’s why I don’t want it to continue. We can’t continue to get jobs. university degrees without having had any Dutch lessons,” he said.
Very critical of the successive state reforms and defender of national unity, Mr. Bouchez also pleads for a federal electoral district, a recurring theme in institutional discussions but which has never been the subject of sufficient agreement.
“I am also in favor of the single federal constituency. But, I go further than B Plus, that is to say that I believe that the Prime Minister should be elected within this federal constituency. Concretely this would mean that we might create a system where whoever got the most votes in the largest party would make up the coalition. Or, at the very least, that would mean you can’t become prime minister if you’re not elected in single federal riding,” he explained.
Contrary to the president of the PS, Paul Magnette, Mr. Bouchez does not believe in a Belgium with 4 Regions which he qualifies as “stupidity” which will “complicate the life of the Belgians” and will prevent the link between Brussels and Wallonia. “Let’s say that the only interest of Belgium with four is that it’s even easier to divide followingwards,” he added.
