The French-speaking liberal party MR has started a very difficult party office, where the future of president Georges-Louis Bouchez is being decided. Bouchez himself said before the start that there is ‘no cause for alarm’. But according to some party leaders, his possible dismissal is indeed on the table. “The MR is destroying itself.”
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The immediate cause is that Bouchez wanted to transfer former federal minister Denis Ducarme to the Walloon government last Thursday, but that turned out not to be possible because the gender balance in the Walloon government would otherwise be disrupted. The way in which Bouchez proceeded offended many party members. Before Monday’s meeting, Walloon Deputy Prime Minister Willy Borsus called this an ‘inappropriate’ decision, ‘and not the right one either’.
The fiercest criticism may have come from Ducarme himself. ‘This cannot last. The picture we now give to the population is disgusting. At the moment I am not proud to be a liberal ‘, he referred to the party slogan’ fier d’être liberal ‘. “The MR is destroying itself,” he said.
The proposal to place Bouchez under guardianship by four party leaders does not seem realistic to him. ‘In any case, it would give a strange picture. It is difficult for the five of you to go to a meeting with the other chairpersons. This has to stop’. It is not clear to him what must be done. ‘We are now going to discuss how to get out. Is that with new presidential elections? With an interim chairman? I don’t know, but this has got to stop. ‘
Walloon Deputy Prime Minister Willy Borsus stated before the meeting that ‘major mistakes had been made’. ‘We have to dare to admit that’. Thursday’s decision to pass Ducarme on to the Walloon government without the knowledge of the ministers in that government was “inappropriate, and not the right one,” he said.
Regarding the question of whether there should be a new chairman, Borsus said frankly that this is ‘one of the options on the table’. He can also appoint four supervisors. ‘A more collegial dynamic is needed in the party. Decisions must be made together ‘.
Walloon Minister of Budget Jean-Luc Crucke also insists on more democracy in the party. ‘Whoever speaks on behalf of our party must also speak on behalf of the party. ‘Et s’experimer seul, c’est seul’. When asked whether Bouchez is the right man to lead the party, Crucke shrugs. ‘This is about the board. He cannot make all decisions alone, this is not a private company ‘.
The name of Crucke is circulating as a possible successor should there be a change of chair. But he does not want to comment on that. ‘At the moment, all I want is for my budget conclave to go well. After this party office I will have to hurry to get to Namur in time. ‘
Former Mobility Minister Francois Bellot remained more on the flat. “It is the right of the chairman to appoint the ministers, but here it seems that the decision was made all alone.” However, new presidential elections are ‘not on the agenda’, he says.
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