On Thursday 3 September at 8pm, Georges-Louis Bouchez made his media comeback on the RTBF programme Jeudi en Prime. Faced with budgetary challenges, the MR President defended a clear line: cutting inefficient spending, refusing new taxes, and supporting investment and employment.
Cutting spending, not raising taxes
“Belgium spends €330 billion in public money. Finding 10 billion is about 3% of that total spending. It's not an insurmountable Everest.”
Georges-Louis Bouchez reiterated the priority of evaluating the effectiveness of public policies, simplifying levels of governance and reducing the size of the State. “Our country spends 55% of its GDP, and at the same time, people are unhappy with their education, justice system and the state of the roads.”
The MR President also recalled the rule set out in the government agreement: “A maximum of 1/9th in tax measures within the budgetary effort.” Therefore, “either we respect the government agreement and don't change anything, or some want to renegotiate it, but that's the role of party leaders, not deputy prime ministers.”
Rewarding work and reviving the economy
While Belgium is the 3rd country with the highest tax burden on wealth in Europe, the MR refuses to increase capital taxation. “Rather than further increasing capital taxation, let's align it with that of work… by lowering taxes on work.”
“This government was built on one promise: to reward work. We can't ask people to work more only to then increase their bills even further.” Amid inflation, Georges-Louis Bouchez also firmly opposes any VAT increase: “With inflation at 4%, adding another 1 or 2 points of VAT would be sheer madness!”
He calls for concentrating public resources on what truly prepares the future: “If it's for major public policy, where we build nuclear reactors, revive industries, work on infrastructure like roads or airports, I'll agree.”
Reforming the State and restoring authority
Georges-Louis Bouchez denounced the administrative duplication and waste resulting from the multiplication of structures. “Before regionalisation, 300 people worked in foreign trade. Today, there are 1,200. Does Belgium export 4 times more? No.”
Regarding housing in Brussels, the MR President called for Mr Mostefa to step aside before more resources are put into a sector that needs cleaning up first. “We're not going to put money back into a sector when that sector hasn't been cleaned up.”
Finally, in the face of insecurity, the MR is calling for firm action: more police officers, a military presence, faster judicial procedures and the deportation of illegal residents involved in crime. “We entered the Brussels government with the promise of change. […] We are also here to make our difference felt.”