This week we head to the Black Country, where we meet Anthony Dufrane. On 9 June he led the federal list in Hainaut and was elected with over 12,400 votes. He will be the lead candidate in Charleroi for the October elections.
Let's take the time to get to know our new MP from Charleroi.
The first time you took the oath was in 2000 in Montigny-le-Tilleul.
You were then a federal MP from 2010 to 2012 and a Walloon MP from 2014 to 2019, and you are now a federal MP again. Was it your wish to act at federal level?
Honestly, returning to the Chamber wasn't among my objectives. My wish was to respond positively to the President's request to support his list. Following my election, it seemed inconceivable not to respond to the voters' signal, and I am now delighted to be part of the MR group in the federal Parliament.
What are your areas of focus?
I was appointed as a member of the Economy Committee and will also closely follow the Social Affairs Committee for everything related to Employment.
Alongside your political commitment, you run a Facebook page where you share job offers. Can you tell us more about it? How did you get the idea to create this page, and what feedback have you received?
This page, created about twelve years ago, indeed takes up a lot of space in my daily life.
Concretely, I devote one to two hours of voluntary work a day to it, feeding it with job offers for jobseekers, mainly from Hainaut.
The idea came from an observation: employment operators were barely present on social networks, so I simply wanted to fill that gap!
The page now has a very dynamic community of over 133,000 followers. As for feedback, it's excellent, both from recruiters and jobseekers. Over time, this page has become a genuine tool serving Employment and fellow citizens.
It's official: you will be the lead candidate in Charleroi for the October elections. In your view, what are the stakes of the October vote, and how do you approach this local campaign?
Yes, and it is indeed a great joy to take on this responsibility, but for me a lead candidate would be nothing without a good team where each candidate brings their talent and experience! In Charleroi, a strong list is currently being formed, which will include no fewer than 5 experienced MPs (Fabienne Devilers, Nicolas Tzanetatos, Denis Ducarme, Olivier Chastel and myself) as well as numerous other high-value candidates.
The Mouvement Réformateur's primary goal is of course to campaign so as to be a key player on the evening of 13 October.
In Charleroi, citizens have a strong desire for change! And the MR Carolo wants to work during the 2024/2030 term to meet the population's many expectations.
There are many challenges! Charleroi comprises 15 former municipalities... the difficulties faced by citizens can vary greatly depending on where you are within the entity. Nevertheless, the key themes of the campaign will be safety, mobility, housing, cleanliness, revitalising the town centre and “Living Together”.
Finally, what are your city's strengths, and which must-see places should visitors check out when passing through Charleroi?
Charleroi benefits from an incredible economic, touristic and cultural diversity. We have an international airport, business zones with companies at the forefront of research and technology, and recently a university campus.
As for must-see places, what a dilemma, the list is so long, but I would recommend: lunch at the Brasserie du Quai 10, strolling along Rue de Dampremy and stopping at “Au Bistro” for a coffee, perhaps a detour to the Museum of Photography, and ending your afternoon admiring the superb panoramic view from the top of the Terril at Bois du Cazier.