2023-12-02 06:34:00
Stop saying “Christian Democratic” family. Ultimately, a “centrist” family, “I like that,” smiles Maxime Prévot, president of Les Engagés. But he still prefers the term “partners” used by his CD&V counterpart, Sammy Mahdi. The two men want to move forward united towards the elections of June 2024 and beyond, to show that their parties remain close despite the deconfessionalization of the Engagés, born from the refoundation of the CDH. Despite also a turbulent common history.
The CDH becomes “Les Engagés”: on paper, the bet of rupture is successful
“Our country must regain centrist strength, a guarantee of stability and credibility of government action,” chants Maxime Prévot. The federal government is paralyzed by fruitless standoffs between left and right, despite the efforts of the CD&V to find pragmatic solutions. The absence of the Engaged at the federal level prevents the centrists from having more influence.” “We want to form an axis to implement the socio-economic reforms that the country needs,” supports Sammy Mahdi.
What does the rapprochement between your parties consist of?
Maxime Prévot (MP): A common list. The CD&V will be at our side on the federal list of those Engaged in Brussels for the June 2024 elections. We want to rehabilitate the strength of nuance in this complex world, while the far right dominates in Flanders and the far left, in Wallonia. We want to provide solutions. In the absence of pragmatism from the other parties, the tax reform project of the Minister of Finance, Vincent Van Peteghem (CD&V), has, unfortunately, given birth to a mouse. Let’s work on what brings us together and try to find solutions to people’s problems such as purchasing power, taxation, places in daycare, health, local services in rural areas, etc.
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Vivaldi demonstrated that the solution must come from the center, that this systematic left-right confrontation leads to paralysis.
A common list will help Les Engagés to keep its Brussels seat in the Chamber (Elisabeth Degryse will be head of the list and Pierre Kompany second). But what is the interest for the CD&V, which has no elected federal representative from Brussels and will still not have one with this list?
Sammy Mahdi (SM): We have a 0.0 chance of having a federal representative from Brussels since the split of the electoral district of Brussels-Hal-Vilvoorde (BHV). And so, what do we do? A separate list for which little will happen? Our objective is to have an impact on the rest of the history of this country by regrouping forces. The centrists want to be constructive and avoid the country being blocked during negotiations on the formation of the next government.
Will you automatically join the future government together?
MP: That would be better. (smile)
Mr. Prévot, just before the 2019 elections, you had already done a joint outing with the president of the CD&V – Wouter Beke at the time – to affirm that your parties could be “the backbone” of the government. It didn’t work out for you…
MP: I am convinced that it will work better this time. First, because we need a democratic political revival in the face of extremes. It has already taken seven parties to form the Vivaldi government. Tomorrow, with the announced progress of Vlaams Belang and the PTB, we cannot exclude that, mathematically, almost all democratic parties will be needed. And then, Vivaldi demonstrated that the solution must come from the center, that this systematic left-right confrontation leads to paralysis. In terms of security, for example, the Minister of the Interior, Annelies Verlinden (CD&V), has made efforts. But it was blocked by left-right conflicts during budget conclaves.
SM: Our two parties often have a similar position in many areas. But Les Engagés are in the opposition while the CD&V is in the majority. This configuration strengthens neither. We are the only ones who can block the rise of the extremes which are blocking the country. Respect and trust: these values are part of our DNA.
Mr. Mahdi, what is your view on the evolution of the CDH, which has become Les Engagés?
SM: A positive outlook. This is why I am convinced that we can strengthen each other. The way in which the CDH sought out its supporters during the time of former president Joëlle Milquet is no longer the same today.
“The CD&V must not be a communitarian party like the CDH was”, you said about this in May 2022…
SM: Absolutely. Because I believe that the vision of our party is not limited to attracting people from certain communities to us. I have always regretted this ideological impoverishment.
Sammy Mahdi: “The CD&V must not be a communitarian party like the CDH was”
Shouldn’t the CD&V have carried out a transformation like Les Engagés? However, you also lost the elections in 2019 and the polls are not good.
SM: But we did it. I have been president for a year and a half. We were at 8-9% in the polls. We went up 10, 11, 12%. And in the last La Libre-RTBF survey, we were at 13.9%. Over the past year and a half, we have made a lot of internal reforms. We haven’t changed the name and color, but the engine inside has changed drastically.
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MP: If we look at the trends, the Open VLD and Groen are struggling, Défi is crashing, we have to see what will become of Vooruit after the resignation of its president Conner Rousseau (following racist remarks, Editor’s note). The historic parties which have increased their capital of confidence are the centrists. Our refoundation has sometimes been viewed with contempt. But today I am happy that the personalities who joined us lend their credit to our movement – and they are not reality TV personalities like “stick your willy to the bar” (reference to a reality TV show made by the president of the MR, Georges-Louis Bouchez, Editor’s note).
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