This week we head to the province of Liège, where we meet Laura Iker. She has served as mayor of the municipality of Esneux since 2006 and announced a few weeks ago that she will stand again in October's municipal elections.
Let's take a moment with her to look back on her achievements and upcoming projects.
How do you experience this role as mayor? Has it changed over the years?
I experience it with passion and enthusiasm! Everything evolves, and thankfully so. That said, and this is nothing new, social media has created countless self-proclaimed experts on everything, for whom criticism or even insults are the ultimate weapon… A shame, because those who know me know I love to discuss and exchange ideas. The richness of a discussion lies in the exchange of ideas.
After all these years in office, which political achievement is closest to your heart, and what was the biggest project of this legislature?
There are many, some not very visible but symbolic, such as welcoming newborns with the planting of a tree every year, bearing the first names of all babies born that year.
The most notable is the replacement of the Tilff bridge, a thorny issue that dragged on for nearly 20 years and resulted in a structure unique in Wallonia.
For this legislature, it is undoubtedly the management of the July 2021 floods. As one of the five hardest-hit municipalities in Wallonia, we quickly managed to get back on our feet, and we are still working today on every possible measure to avoid such a disaster happening again.
To finish, the traditional tourist question: what do you recommend visiting in Esneux?
Without hesitation: EVERYTHING! It's a municipality overflowing with beauty and exceptional heritage, whether natural, artistic, architectural or folk. It's no coincidence that, with the development of rail and roads, intellectuals came to stay here. Coming to Esneux means recharging, it simply means living!