The left-right divide shows no sign of weakening. In a joint interview this week, Georges-Louis Bouchez and Thierry Bodson of the FGTB set out two diametrically opposed visions of society. On one side, a case for individual responsibility and reform; on the other, the defence of a solidarity-based model that is “under strain”.
The MR President, true to his liberal line, denounces “a conservative Belgium where every reform triggers an outcry”. In his view, “the state should enable people to succeed in life, but cannot be held responsible for every failure”. He criticises the trade unions' reluctance to consider any alternative to permanent contracts, and mocks an approach he calls “utterly maudlin”.
Facing him, Thierry Bodson defends social achievements, but comes up against an interlocutor who is not afraid to shake up the established order: “I am creating a public debate that didn't exist. I accept disagreement, not violence.”