On Tuesday 3 February, the President of the Mouvement Réformateur Georges-Louis Bouchez brought together a wide panel of diplomats and international representatives in Brussels. Coordinated by his chief of staff, Jolan Vereecke, this convivial gathering helped strengthen our ongoing dialogue with the diplomatic world, while also feeding our party's thinking on the major international challenges of the emerging new world order.
From the outset, the President of the MR recalled that numerous challenges (economic, security-related, energy or agricultural) play out at European and global level. He reaffirmed the need for ambitious agreements with South America, India and Africa, not only commercially but also politically, believing these partnerships to be essential keys enabling Europe to hold its full place against “the American empire” and assert its sovereignty. The world is shifting from a system inherited from the 20th century towards a new international order, and it is up to Europeans not to simply endure these transformations, but to propose new architectures of cooperation.
With this in mind, the President of the MR advocates “coalitions of the willing” within the European Union: rather than waiting for difficult consensus among all 27 members, he proposes moving forward through circles of willing countries on targeted issues. Several concrete examples: an expanded Benelux coalition for defence, a strengthened partnership with France around shared nuclear ambition, and greater cooperation with Germany on industrial matters.
Thanks to its geographical and political position, our country has the opportunity to be at the heart of this Europe of forward-moving projects, and the MR wants to make this positioning a structuring pillar of its action, with European sovereignty as the goal.
This sovereignty must be built around 4 major pillars: a firm industrial direction, a credible energy strategy, a strengthened food autonomy, as well as a defence policy equal to the rising tensions of our time.
These European priorities are already reflected in the various portfolios held by the MR. Security, the economy, employment and energy are our priorities. For example, our minister Bernard Quitin, himself from the diplomatic world, works tirelessly to combat drug trafficking and organised crime. But it would be illusory to think that a purely national response would be sufficient.
Throughout this meeting, Georges-Louis Bouchez, Jolan Vereecke, Bernard Quintin and Eléonore Simonet were keen to express their gratitude to the diplomatic corps, often more recognised abroad than within our own borders, for the quality of the work accomplished, the positive image of Belgium they convey, and also their ability to attract foreign investment.