2023-11-11 09:03:21
For Walloon Minister of the Economy Willy Borsus, the measures taken so far by Wallonia to put people back to work “are not producing enough effects.”
Where is Wallonia going? Since the crises, and particularly that of covid, we have heard a lot regarding reindustrialisation, sector relocation strategy. The Walloon government led by the socialist Elio Di Rupo has also set itself the objective of raise the employment rate to reach 75% among 20-64 year olds by 2030, or 10% more than today. On the ground, business creation increased by 8.3% in 2022. Politicians see tremors in this even if others continue to rail once morest a certain logic of basins, a sprinkling of financial resources and endemic unemployment.
A game changer
Voluble while being very round in his remarks, the Minister of the Economy Willy Borsus (MR) does not prove the criticisms of employment wrong. He recognizes that the employment rate objective set at the start of the legislature will not be met. “We must continue to work hard on measures intended to activate the labor market.” According to him, we must do it faster and harder. He does not hesitate to see it as a game changer. “Activating job seekers is Wallonia’s priority. What should be improved is the job market as a priority. The activation of the job market and particularly of a certain number of job seekers remains a largely open project today..”
“The activation of the job market and particularly of a certain number of job seekers remains a largely open task today.”
But he refuses the criticism suggesting that the government discovers this file at the end of the legislature, to the point ofgo and urgently knock on the door of Forem three weeks ago. “For example, there were boost operations, financial incentives to promote training in shortage professions. But what we observe is that the measures do not produce enough effects since the number of professions in shortage continues to grow, and there are 219,000 unemployed job seekers. We must therefore accelerate the pace, we must decide on complementary reforms.” Even if it means urgently shaking up the Forem…
His solution, defended by all liberals, would bestrongly encourage job seekers to take the path to work. “Others emphasize support. The government had a meeting with Forem and we asked for strong additional measures with rapid effects. And when the job seeker refuses a job considered suitable or when he refuses to enroll in training considered suitable for his situation, if there are two refusals, there needs to be a sanction. The aim is not to sanction for the sake of sanction but the sanction must be effective. Personally, I am in favor of unemployment benefits being limited in time. But this type of debate is part of the debates in the next government negotiations.”
“I am in favor of unemployment benefits being limited in time. But this type of debate is part of the debates in the next government negotiations.”
Less research fragmentation
Alongside this important chapter, Willy Borsus finalized a strategic file this Thursday in government, particularly encouraged by Walloon employers, with the merger of research centers. “There is a desire to reach critical masses and to move away from basin logics or territorial logics as we observed them in the past. It is a process of progressive fusion to reach masses reviews. For example, we will bring together 100-150 researchers. This should give another amplitude to the structures with greater perspectives, including participation in European programs.”
The minister mentioned the employment lever. He might just as easily have approached the interview by pointing to innovation as the nourishing mother of Wallonia. He tells us regarding the S3 strategy. Behind these abstruse terms, we must see a strategy of specialization. It aims, through innovation, to re-establish the industry of the future in Wallonia. There are projects in the agri-food industry, materials… “The government recently approved 17 files linked to calls for projects. The idea is to say what our main choices and priorities are and how we can bring together the players to carry out a certain number of projects.”
On the ground, we can already see the effects of this S3 with, for example the company I-care and its mega-project to manufacture sensors for industry 4.0 through the construction of a production line in Mons. “This is a project that would not have been possible without all the research and innovation work. This brings back industrial activity. Being able to digitalize a certain number of processes is a major element of industrial growth for us.”
“Are we in Wallonia, or in Belgium, being granted several hundred million to locate a battery gigafactory? I don’t think so.”
Wallonia will not do like France
However, we emphasize that Wallonia failed to attract the Futerro projectthe latter preferring Normandy to build its biosourced plastics factory.
Wouldn’t Wallonia be able to seduce? we ask. “I would like to break a duck’s legs because I am regularly told of gigafactories or other factories which are installed either in France or in Germany. They are installed there at the cost of aid of hundreds of millions of euros. public money which is mobilized by the States concerned. But in Wallonia, or in Belgium, are we being granted several hundred million to locate a battery gigafactory? I do not think so. But rather than dreaming of dedicating several hundred million to attract this or that company, we must invest in research and innovation, and in training. We focus on this or that issue but others shine like I-care, Odoo. I am not blind to certain difficulties but we must highlight the performance of a certain number of actors and sectors. But we come back once more and once more to the question of employment. The future of the Region depends on socio-economic growth. Activation of resources is the only path in Wallonia. There are no others that are relevant.”
Without launching into the campaign eight months before the election, we inevitably hear the little music intended to seduce the voter…”It is clear that the weight that is ours (read that of the Reform Movement) is decisive in implementing this speech.“Willy Borsus nevertheless appears satisfied with cohabitation with the socialists. “It has allowed a certain number of openings. The message brought to the Forem with Elio Di Rupo three weeks ago was accompanied by an obligation to achieve results.” That’s what it says!
The summary
- For the Minister of the Economy, the key to the socio-economic improvement of Wallonia lies in putting the unemployed into employment.
- In his eyes, the latest measures taken by Wallonia are not producing enough effects. He pleads in particular for the sanctions to be effective.
- Alongside employment, he discusses the prospects for reindustrialization and highlights the new I-care project. The company will invest in a production line in Mons.
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