This year we stop in Binche to meet Frédéric Maghe, a municipal councillor since 2012.
A great enthusiast of Binche folklore, this gille tirelessly devotes himself to his municipality.
He also works at the MR presidency, where he serves as deputy chief of staff to the President while also acting as campaign director and… running for first alternate on the regional list for the Centre constituency.
Fred, being an elected liberal municipal councillor in a city with an absolute socialist majority like Binche, I imagine it's not easy every day…
No, it isn't, even though the MR joined the majority in 2006 and has stayed there ever since. In 2006 we had 1 directly elected councillor out of 33. That rose to 3 in 2012 and 5 in 2018 under the MR-CI banner. I really hope that in 2024 we can continue our advance in terms of elected representatives.
How do you manage, within a majority where you are not numerically essential, to get your ideas across and influence decisions?
Modestly, I really think we can say that our action strikes a different note. A simple example: the 2018 Municipal Policy Statement takes on almost our entire programme word for word. We had done excellent policy work, liberal in substance but above all grounded in common sense. Our priorities became the City's priorities, which was reflected in the well-known PST. Relations with our socialist partner are cordial and respectful, and we can move forward together on quite a few projects while keeping municipal finances healthy, which stands in stark contrast to most surrounding municipalities. However, we cannot be satisfied with the socioeconomic indicators: an employment rate of barely 58%, an unemployment rate of 12.6%, and 41% of the population whose education level does not go beyond lower secondary school. There is huge work to be done in terms of boosting employment and changing mindsets. On these points, we don't really share the same vision as the PS…
You are also professionally involved with the MR, since you hold the position of deputy chief of staff to the President. Is that easy to combine with this local commitment?
It's not easy, but that's the lot of most municipal councillors. It's not a job. It's a commitment you take on out of passion, out of love for your town. Being a municipal councillor, like being a branch president for that matter, is a role that costs money, drains energy, and eats into the time you could spend with family or friends… Nevertheless, it's also a source of satisfaction when you see a project come to fruition, when you organise an event that works well, when you talk with involved and engaged citizens. Some people are a bit less pleasant, or sometimes think that, because you're a municipal councillor, you're responsible for all the ills of humanity or for decisions made at other levels. That said, it remains rewarding and exciting, and I'm not one of those local elected officials who feel discouraged…
You are the first alternate for the Region for the Soignies-La Louvière constituency, how do you see your commitment at this level?
I'm first of all well aware of the privilege I've been given in holding the first alternate position. Some will say it's a fighting position, as the saying goes. That's completely wrong: it's a comfortable position where, while actively taking part in the campaign, you know you're lying in wait rather than on the front line (though as campaign director for the MR, I've already given enough on that front…). I know the rules in force in the Walloon Parliament, everyone does, particularly Maxime Daye and Bénédicte Poll, who hold the first two effective seats and are, moreover, mayors. If the stars align for me, I'd be foolish not to take the seat offered, but I would probably soon suffer from cuckoo syndrome, occupying a seat that isn't really mine. I admit I'd rather come in through the door than through the window. What I'll remember in any case is what a fantastic human adventure this campaign has been, with 9 wonderful running mates who can all count on my vote and support. If I'm allowed to dream a little: we get a historic score, the list alliance helps us a bit, and both Maxime and Bénédicte can hold multiple mandates. But since one of them is appointed Minister, I can play the cuckoo with less embarrassment… Everyone can and must dream. You have to believe in it everywhere, on every list. Our project is the right one!
Binche is known as a town of folklore, with its famous gilles. And you yourself take part in the carnival…
Yes, absolutely, I've taken part in the carnival for 28 years now and I'm a member of the committee of my gille society, the Jeunes Indépendants. Carnival is a kind of irrational bracket, a stolen moment in the year when you consistently reunite with friends, acquaintances and family to celebrate, but also to keep alive a folklore we hold dear. What I love most is the whole build-up that heralds the carnival: the society dinners in November, the auditions and drum rehearsals in December, the soumonces and carnival balls in January, before the three fat days that crown it all. I hardly miss a bit of it. It sometimes gives you a bit of a headache the next day, but if you know how to enjoy yourself, you also know how to get up and go to work. I love my town well beyond the carnival. There's a certain human warmth there, a somewhat rebellious spirit, a fondness for gossip. Being from Binche is a state of mind.