He had given up on politics in 2021. Four years later he returns and becomes mayor. This week we head to Paliseul, where we meet Alain Poncelet.
After your father and your grandfather, you are the third generation of Poncelets to lead your municipality. One could say it's in your blood. What were your motivations for entering politics in the first place? What does it mean to you to become mayor of your municipality?
I've always been interested in politics, because as a small child I heard people talking about it at home every day.
My main motivation is to work for my municipality, to be able to get things moving and set up new initiatives. To achieve that, you had to be part of a majority and also part of a College.
Becoming mayor wasn't my main goal, but I'm obviously very proud of the role I've been given.
The question of bringing back the Foire Sainte-Catherine is gaining ground. Can you tell us more about the issues involved and what's at stake for Paliseul?
The Foire Sainte-Catherine was known throughout the Province of Luxembourg and even beyond, and if people talked about the Foire Sainte-Catherine, they automatically talked about Paliseul, which gave us great publicity and attracted people from all backgrounds.
It was a must-attend event on the last weekend of November.
In recent years it has somewhat fallen into disuse, and we think it's important for the dynamism of our municipality to bring it back to life as it once was.
Access to healthcare is an important issue in your municipality. What's the status of the medical centre project?
We're meeting with some doctors during March to hear their concerns and any expectations they may have. We also have an upcoming meeting with the local, and also the provincial, representative of the Red Cross. We're not really on the same wavelength as the previous majority, and we're thinking more of a broader, paramedical project.
Though little known, Paliseul is actually a perfect destination for a weekend away. Can you tell us about the activities to do and the must-visit addresses in your municipality?
Paliseul is fortunate to be located in a beautiful region at the heart of the forest, with numerous walking trails mapped out by the tourist office and maintained in part by its volunteers.
Every tourist we meet has nothing but praise for the beauty of our landscapes.
As for must-visit addresses, we have a good number of excellent restaurants in our municipality, including two Michelin-starred ones.
Weekend tourists always leave delighted and come back regularly, which proves the quality of our hospitality.
