We meet Eléonore Simonet in Woluwe-Saint-Lambert.
At 26, she has just been elected to the Brussels Parliament and will be third on the MR list for her municipality in the October elections.
The opportunity to get to know our young MP better.
Eléonore, you've been immersed in politics all your life. You could say you fell into it as a child. What lessons do you take from your father Jacques Simonet's political commitment?
I've been immersed in politics since birth, but unfortunately I never had the chance to have long political discussions with my father. Nevertheless, I am proud of the battles he fought for his municipality, his city, his region and his country. Battles that remain relevant today. An emancipatory liberalism guaranteeing every Brussels resident, regardless of age/gender/origin/religion/language, the same chances of success. I will continue to defend security everywhere and for everyone, quality education that lifts our pupils and students up, and a thriving city driven by its entrepreneurs, shopkeepers and social and local actors.
You trained as a lawyer and are currently a trainee lawyer at the Brussels Bar. You made clear you didn't want to give up your profession after your election. Why is it important for you to keep working in your profession?
Political mandates naturally require significant commitment, and some roles even demand full dedication. For my part, I see no incompatibility - but rather an added value - in practising as a lawyer alongside my mandate as an MP in the Brussels Region and the Wallonia-Brussels Federation. I will of course be less present at my law firm over the next 5 years, but I remain convinced of the benefit of keeping one foot in the private sector, close to the realities on the ground.
There are 7 days in a week and 24 hours in every day. I intend to fill them well and put myself at the service of the citizens who elected me.
You will be third on the list for the municipal elections. What are your ambitions for Woluwe-Saint-Lambert, what would you like to improve?
The ambition is clear: as Georges-Louis Bouchez said, we want coherence at all levels of power and therefore a stronger MR presence in our municipality. Democracy needs renewal! We face an outgoing Défi majority that seems to have fallen asleep at the wheel and is experiencing extremely significant internal tensions, with the announced departure of alderwoman Isabelle Molenberg, who denounces an authoritarian drift by her mayor. All this gives the impression of the end of an era at the head of Woluwe-Saint-Lambert. We intend to take back the initiative and spend municipal funds efficiently (and transparently!). It is through a clear mandate from the residents of Saint-Lambert that we will be able to have influence in the years to come.
To finish, the traditional tourist question: what would you recommend visiting in Woluwe-Saint-Lambert?
The old mill of Woluwe-Saint-Lambert, also known as the Moulin Brûlé. Situated in a charming, bucolic spot just metres from Flanders, the mill recalls a time when the municipalities were still just villages around Brussels, with fields and farms. I also love the contrast with - just a few steps away - the Saint-Luc university campus and the international businesses on Boulevard de la Woluwe, which we are so keen to keep and attract to Brussels.
Summer is here: it's a great place to visit with the family, where our history meets our future!