For a week now, nearly 25,000 households in Mons have been without gas, and therefore without heating and hot water. An exceptional situation with serious consequences for thousands of families in the depths of winter.
MR President Georges-Louis Bouchez, himself affected by the cut-off, was keen to stress the essential point: restoring gas supply to such a large number of homes takes time. Each reactivation requires around 30 minutes per home to avoid any risk of accident during the network's restoration.
Full support for the technicians deployed
Dozens of technicians are currently working under particularly difficult conditions. Their mobilisation is essential and deserves everyone's support. The gradual restoration of the network must be carried out with caution to avoid any disaster, particularly given the surge in demand that will occur when households massively switch their heating back on.
In the immediate term, the priority is clear:
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mobilising as many technicians as possible to speed up operations;
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monitoring vulnerable people so that no one is left isolated in the cold;
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effectively coordinating police and security services to support residents.
Shedding full light on the causes
Beyond the emergency, a fundamental question must be asked: how could the network fail in this way?
The MR is calling for a full and independent investigation, both technical and parliamentary, to establish the precise causes of the incident and draw all necessary conclusions.
This event has also reignited the debate over the state of our energy infrastructure. The gas network, and even more so the electricity network, requires massive investment to guarantee security of supply and long-term reliability.
Responsibility, not political point-scoring
At such a sensitive time, the priority must be action and solidarity. Citizens expect concrete solutions and full mobilisation from local authorities, not controversy or political point-scoring.
The challenge goes beyond political divides: it is about guaranteeing residents' safety today and durably strengthening our infrastructure to prevent such an incident from happening again.
In the face of this crisis, the MR is calling for responsibility, transparency and an ambitious investment plan to secure our energy networks.