In an interview given to La Libre on Saturday 12 July, Georges-Louis Bouchez, MR President, gives a blunt assessment of the current state of Belgium. He points to the imbalance between social spending and defence spending, calling for a review of national priorities and for strengthening individual responsibility, notably by giving the family a central role in solidarity once again. Georges-Louis Bouchez believes the State must refocus on its essential missions: education, security, infrastructure and support in the event of life's accidents, while abolishing certain public structures deemed unnecessary.
On the economic front, the MR President calls for a more ambitious tax reduction to attract new investment. He also reaffirms the MR's refusal to sell Belfius, preferring to explore solid industrial partnerships, favouring a merger between insurer Ethias and bank Belfius. He believes it is urgent to revive heavy industry and invest in future-oriented sectors such as hydrogen, while breaking certain economic taboos, such as abolishing the capital gains tax for the upcoming elections.
Finally, Georges-Louis Bouchez calls for a more realistic approach to international politics, acknowledging the need to strengthen alliances, including with partners such as Qatar, and to stop moral lecturing. He denounces a Europe “of the naive” and calls for turning the page to build a Europe of realists, while also taking a jab at the left, which he compares to “children playing superheroes”. For him, the time has come to dare to change and to put responsibility back at the heart of the political debate.