For his first speech as president of the MR provincial federation of Liège, Mathieu Bihet claimed that the Palais des Congrès is a Liège "liberal home". He succeeds Pierre-Yves Jeholet, whom he thanks for making the MR the leading political force in the province, with nearly 40 mayoralties and some 500 elected representatives.
By maintaining the tradition of new year's greetings at this iconic venue, despite recent attempts at disruption by far-left splinter groups, the MR is making an important political statement: we do not need to hide, nor apologise for existing, nor give up our place in the public space.
He recalls that, thanks to the 2024 results, the MR now has aligned levers at the municipal, provincial, Walloon, federal and European levels, and lists the flagship projects driven by the liberals: time-limited unemployment benefits, the return of nuclear power, administrative simplification, reform of registration duties, merger of police zones, and the rationalisation of provincial structures and economic tools. Wallonia must move out of being "on a drip" in order to reward work, strengthen competitiveness and spend public money where it is genuinely useful.
Finally, he concludes by calling on activists, elected representatives and supporters to make 2026 a year of commitment and "liberal pride", staying united around freedom, work and responsibility, and embracing the courage of reform, even when unpopular.
Read Mathieu Bihet's full first speech as president of the MR federation of Liège
Dear friends, What a pleasure to see so many of you here tonight, at the Palais des Congrès in Liège. A symbolic place, a place of tradition, a place that says something essential: the Mouvement Réformateur is at home in Liège, just as it is wherever democracy is freely exercised! Before going further, allow me to begin with a sincere tribute to my predecessor as provincial president: Pierre-Yves Jeholet. Under his leadership, the MR became the leading political force in the province of Liège, with nearly 40 mayoralties and close to 500 elected representatives. This success is neither chance nor accident. It is the result of total commitment, a clear political line, ambitious agreements reached with determination, and a bold vision for our province, for Wallonia and for the country. Pierre-Yves, thank you for your commitment, thank you for your rigour, and thank you for what you bring and will continue to bring to the MR in Liège! And allow me a small aside. Last year, at this same time, Pierre-Yves was absent, the victim of a fall on ice. He had asked me to say a few words on his behalf. This year, Pierre-Yves is very much present, standing firmly. And if I address you tonight, it is now in my own name, with great humility, but also with great determination. So here we are, at the Palais des Congrès, faithful to a tradition. And this choice is not incidental. In recent months, several MR gatherings in Liège have been disrupted and marred by violence from far-left splinter groups claiming to be anti-fascist but who, in reality, place themselves outside the democratic arena. They are also part of the small left-wing club that refuses to accept the result of the ballot box. Let's ask the question simply: in what democratic country should a party like ours have to hide in order to gather, debate, or share a drink to celebrate the new year? The MR does not have to hide. The MR does not have to apologise for existing. The MR does not have to give up its place in the public and democratic space! In this regard, I want to sincerely thank the police forces. Tonight again, they are present and vigilant to guarantee everyone's freedom and safety. In a sometimes tense context, they carry out their duties with professionalism, composure and a sense of duty. Thank you! We say it unambiguously: respect for authority, for the rule of law and for those who uphold it, is not negotiable. And if there are, outside, 'protesters' determined to disrupt the celebration, let them know: election results are not replayed indefinitely. Democracy has spoken. It applies to everyone. This democratic firmness, this political clarity, we also owe to our president, Georges-Louis Bouchez. In a climate that is sometimes hostile, often caricatured, the MR and its representatives show remarkable courage and strength. They take on ambitious reforms. They reject demagogy. They maintain a clear, liberal, coherent line… While others prefer to flatter fears or sustain illusions. This courage is not always comfortable. But it is essential. And it honours the Mouvement Réformateur. Dear activists, In recent days, the president of the Parti Socialiste explained in an interview that a return to unlimited unemployment benefits would be 'impossible'. A fine flash of clarity at the start of the year. With every courageous reform undertaken by a government without socialists, the same scenario repeats itself: they fight it fiercely, they denounce it demagogically… but they never reverse it. Why? Because these reforms are necessary. Because they work. Because they serve the common good and contribute to the sustainability of our solidarity. The labour reform is an MR reform. It is embodied at federal level by David Clarinval, and in Wallonia by Pierre-Yves Jeholet. It puts work back at the heart of our economic and social model. It rewards those who work and protects those who truly need it, while ending a system that too often trapped people in inactivity. And this reform does not stand alone. Since the beginning of the legislature, liberals have been reforming at every level of government. The return of nuclear power, because ideology does not produce electricity and does nothing to ensure our energy sovereignty. Administrative simplification, to free up active forces rather than stifle them. The reform of registration duties, to make property ownership more accessible. The merger of police zones, for greater efficiency, proximity and safety. If there is criticism today, it is not because we are doing nothing. It is precisely because we are reforming: quickly, firmly, and deeply. And this unsettles those too accustomed to a static Wallonia, permanently on a drip of public money. The excellent Senator Malhuret, in the French Senate, reminded us just a few weeks ago from the podium that 'everything that moves gets taxed. Everything that still moves gets regulated, and everything that no longer moves gets subsidised.' We had to escape this state of lethargy fostered by a left increasingly complicit in inactivity and subsidy clientelism. Yes, the money, your money, that was being wasted, that is over. We are rationalising. We are simplifying. We are seeking efficiency. The MR is, more than ever, the reforming party. And allow me to be very clear on one essential point. Raising taxes has never reduced deficits. Every time this choice has been made, public finances were not put in order; public spending kept rising, even as it now reaches dizzying levels. The MR makes a different choice: that of responsibility. Rather than always asking more from those who work and take entrepreneurial risks, we want to spend better, spend more efficiently, and focus public money where it is genuinely useful. We currently have a historic strength: levers aligned as never before. The economy, employment and support for the self-employed with David, Pierre-Yves and Éléonore. Agriculture with Anne-Catherine and David. Security with Bernard. At the head of Wallonia, Adrien, surrounded notably by Jacqueline and Valérie in a key position within the Wallonia-Brussels Federation. And of course energy with Cécile in Wallonia and myself at federal level. This coherence is not a coincidence. It is a driving force, and we must fully embrace it. In the province of Liège too, reforms are moving forward. Both at the Province, under the impetus of liberals, with Katty Firquet and André Denis, and in the various structures and intermunicipal bodies. Hospital reform continues to guarantee quality care in our province. Economic tools are increasingly aligned with their missions. Less fragmentation, more impact. There too, we are taking action. Because being liberal, being a reformer, is a method. We do not promise everything to everyone. But we do what we were elected to do. The end of unlimited unemployment benefits: we said it, we did it. The return of nuclear power: we said it, we did it. The tax reform and the increase in the tax-exempt threshold: we said it, we did it. The reduction of registration duties: we said it, we did it. The increase in standards in our education system: we said it, we did it. That is the MR method: reforms and efficiency. Finally, allow me to close with what brings us together tonight. If we are here, it is not only to take stock of the past year or to outline political prospects. It is also to wish each other well. For 2026, I wish us clarity, because our times demand it. I wish us courage, because the reward lies at the end of the effort. I wish us confidence, in our ideas, in our project, in our ability to transform this country. And above all, I wish us to remain united, activists, elected representatives, supporters, around what makes the MR strong: freedom, work and responsibility. Hannah Arendt wrote that 'courage is the first of the political virtues'. I fully subscribe to that. The courage to tell the truth about budgetary, social and democratic challenges. The courage to govern by explaining, by convincing, and sometimes by displeasing. The courage to think of future generations, without fuelling fears or promising the impossible. This is the courage that the Mouvement Réformateur embodies. This is the courage that we will carry together at every level where we hold responsibility. So, to all of you, I wish an excellent 2026: a year of commitment, a year of reforms, a year of liberal pride. Thank you. Happy new year to all. And long live the Mouvement Réformateur!