As a guest alongside the other party leaders on Wednesday evening in the QR Le Débat programme on energy, Georges-Louis Bouchez delivered a clear message: faced with geopolitical upheaval and market tensions, Europe, and Belgium, can no longer afford to simply react.
Right from the start, the MR President reframed the debate. No, energy crises are not isolated accidents. The world is changing, he pointed out, highlighting rivalries between major powers such as the United States and China, as well as growing tensions in the Middle East. Tensions that have direct consequences here, particularly on energy prices.
Turning a blind eye would be a strategic mistake. Saying this does not concern us is wrong, he said, calling for supply routes to be secured and sustainable energy agreements to be concluded.
On the domestic front, Georges-Louis Bouchez condemned a major political error, backed by Ecolo and the entire left: the nuclear phase-out. "We could produce clean electricity, but Ecolo chose to close plants in order to build gas-fired ones instead"
A direct consequence: increased dependence on fossil fuels and imports, in a world where 80% of energy is still fossil-based. For the MR, the energy transition must be pragmatic, not ideological.
Another strong point in his address: the cost to citizens. Georges-Louis Bouchez denounced the absurdity of certain policies, particularly European standards such as ETS2 and RED 3, which could push fuel prices up to €2 per litre by 2028.
The MR President also called for public aid to be refocused. "It must go to those who really need it," he said, referring to abuses in some current schemes.
The MR's priority: increase workers' net income without raising costs for businesses. A structural approach far more effective than multiplying one-off cheques.
Finally, on wage indexation, Georges-Louis Bouchez returned to the contradictions of the PS. The MR defends a more transparent system: full indexation for low and middle incomes, and limited indexation for the highest incomes.
"We don't quietly change the basket the way the socialists like to do. We stand by our choices," he summed up.
Finally, on the issue of shortages: no immediate risk in Belgium. But in the medium term, the situation could become tighter, particularly due to the reduction in available suppliers.