Youth embodies the future, and it is sometimes worth restating that. With a solid and progressive record within the Jeunes MR (successively vice-president of the Jeunes MR OVA, treasurer then political secretary of the provincial federation of Liège, and president of the Liège arrondissement), Cédric De Buf has been National President of the Jeunes MR for 100 days.
As National President of the Jeunes MR, you were elected on the basis of a particular and ambitious programme: what assessment do you draw after 100 days in office? What do you have in store for the future?
After 100 days, it is of course still early to draw a definitive assessment, but these first months have already been rich and very encouraging. I was elected to head a dynamic organisation, well established across the whole territory, which is today the largest political youth organisation in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, with more than 8,000 members. I would also like to acknowledge the work done by previous teams, who left us a solid and mobilised movement.
A particularly positive element is the genuine place given today to young people within the party: the access of the President of the Jeunes MR to the enlarged Political Bureau, participation in strategic thinking, and the strong availability of MR President Georges-Louis Bouchez are a major opportunity for our movement. This political and ideological closeness between the MR and the Jeunes MR is a real strength for the future. The 2026 New Year tour, which gives wide visibility to the party's political youth, is a concrete illustration of this.
Since the start of my term, I have made a point of being very present on the ground, in every corner of Wallonia and in Brussels. Keeping a direct link with local branches and members is, in my view, fundamental. I often say that to represent activists, you first have to know them. Without claiming to be known by all our members, I will keep visiting the ground, in all our branches, to listen to them and help them.
This goes hand in hand with my wish to preserve the friendly DNA of the Jeunes MR, while strengthening our role as a source of proposals. The success of the last National Congress, which brought together nearly 140 members and produced numerous substantive motions, is a fine illustration of this.
Looking ahead, my ambition is clear: keep to the course set during the internal campaign, continue to structure the movement, strengthen our ability to exert influence, and fully embrace our role in the battle of ideas, particularly in the cultural and political fight we are waging against the Left.
Besides your mandate as President, you are also political adviser to the Minister of Energy, Mathieu Bihet. How do you organise your schedule to manage all this with only 24 hours in a day?
Organisation is of course the key. My days are often very full, but this pace is nothing new. Previously, I worked at the Foreign Affairs cabinet, notably during the Belgian presidency of the Council of the European Union, which got me used to a high work intensity. Even before the national presidency, I was already very involved on the ground, including as an arrondissement president and during various election campaigns. I would also like to take this opportunity to salute the commitment of all the Jeunes MR federation and arrondissement presidents, who are also present on the ground every day.
My work as political adviser to the Federal Minister of Energy, Mathieu Bihet, is demanding, exciting, and highly complementary to my political engagement. You are truly at the heart of the reactor. This role gives me a concrete understanding of energy issues, as well as institutional, European and international matters, which I can then share with the Jeunes MR.
As an aside, the current President of the Jeunes MR works for a former President of the Jeunes MR, and I find the symbolism rather nice. Mathieu Bihet, Anne-Catherine Dalcq and Éléonore Simonet are all former Jeunes MR, which once again illustrates the place given to young people within the Mouvement Réformateur.
Beyond my national role, I remain first and foremost a local activist. I am also chair of the MR branch in my municipality, Sprimont, where I sit as a CPAS councillor. In the end, it's all a matter of discipline, priorities and above all passion. When you truly believe in what you're doing, you find the energy to carry all these commitments at once.
The political news has been intense in recent months: between the deadlock in Brussels and uncertainty on the global geopolitical level, how does youth approach 2026?
National and international news reminds us that we live in a rapidly changing world. The armed conflicts shaking several regions of the globe today remind us how much living in a liberal democracy is a privilege, but also a responsibility: that of defending the rule of law and fundamental freedoms, and never taking democracy for granted.
On the Brussels level, the persistent absence of a government is regrettable and reflects a form of political irresponsibility towards citizens. The challenges facing the capital are numerous and cannot go unanswered. Despite this, the Jeunes MR remain very active in Brussels and show remarkable dynamism on the ground.
On the European and international level, 2026 comes in a context marked by the return of great powers and imperialist logics. Faced with this, the European Union must regain a clear strategic vision. Too often, it favours regulation and bureaucracy at the expense of innovation and competitiveness, as highlighted notably by the conclusions of the Draghi report, widely discussed at the last ALDE Congress.
Within the Jeunes MR, we stand for a strong, united and ambitious Europe, capable of strengthening its industry, reducing its economic, energy and security dependencies, and truly carrying weight on the world stage. A Europe deeply committed to the rule of law and individual freedoms, without naivety or wishful thinking, but with the conviction that it remains the best framework to secure a prosperous and safe future for our generation and generations to come.