This week, the Mouvement Réformateur
stops in Habay, where the current news is marked by the concrete start of construction on the future CHR Vivalia-Cœur du Luxembourg hospital in Houdemont, a truly structuring project for the entire local landscape. Under the impetus of Mayor Olivier Barthélemy, the municipality is combining this major project with the implementation of its 2024-2030 Municipal Policy Declaration, the modernisation of its centres, the consolidation of its finances, and increased attention to good governance and the quality of services to citizens.
“Olivier, recent months have been marked by a concrete turning point for Habay with the launch of construction on the future CHR Vivalia-Cœur du Luxembourg hospital in Houdemont and the first phases of works planned over several years. How are you approaching this new stage, what are the municipality's priorities for managing the impacts in terms of mobility, town planning and residents' daily life, and how are you working with Vivalia and the Region to make this project a real opportunity for Habay and its region?”
The arrival of the future CHR Vivalia is undoubtedly the most structuring project our municipality has seen in several decades. It is obviously a wonderful health project, but it is also a development opportunity for our entire province.
Our role as a municipality is to anticipate rather than simply endure. For several months, we have been working closely with Vivalia, the SPW, the SWDE, Idelux Eau and all partners so that this project benefits as many people as possible and its impacts are kept under control.
Issues of mobility, traffic and resident information are being monitored on an ongoing basis. A project of this scale inevitably brings constraints, but it is our responsibility to limit them as much as possible through dialogue and good coordination.
We are also taking advantage of this momentum to make investments that will benefit the population in the long term. Habay distributes its own water, and the arrival of the hospital allows us to strengthen our entire supply network. Together with Idelux Eau, we are developing new boreholes and renewing several major pipelines, in connection with the SWDE to avoid supply disruptions. These investments will also improve water supply to our villages.
Another concrete example: the future water treatment plant, essential for the CHR's operation, will also benefit the village of Houdemont. This is exactly how I see public action: when a major investment arrives in our territory, it must also improve residents' quality of life.
The hospital will also generate new needs in terms of housing, mobility, shops and services. It is up to us to prepare for this evolution with a long-term vision so that Habay reaps all the economic and human benefits.
“The Municipal Council recently reaffirmed its determination to modernise infrastructure, succeed in the energy transition and maintain a healthy financial situation, as shown by the adoption of a surplus 2025 budget and the implementation of the first actions of the 2024-2030 Municipal Policy Declaration. What are your very concrete priorities for this term in terms of investments (roads, centres, family services, digital) and internal organisation, and how do you intend to continue this streamlining work in 2026 to keep the promise of a healthier and more efficient administration serving the people of Habay?”
A municipality cannot be run on a day-to-day basis. It is built on a long-term goal and sound finances.
Since the start of this term, we have made a choice: manage public money rigorously so we can invest more. The goal is not to stack up projects on paper, but to make useful, sustainable and financially sound investments.
We have just completed the energy renovation of the Le Pachis sports and cultural complex, including its swimming pool, thanks to support of €1.2 million from the Walloon Region. This investment improves comfort for users while durably reducing energy costs.
At the same time, a new 35-place nursery is being built in Habay-la-Neuve, and the old wash house in Hachy is being transformed into a village hall as part of rural development.
The coming years will confirm this investment momentum. In 2027, the shopping street of Habay-la-Neuve will undergo a full renovation, followed by the redevelopment of the central square in 2028 as part of the Urban Development plan. The Municipal Rural Development Programme will also deliver two projects long awaited by residents: a swimming pond and a new village hall in Anlier in 2027. Finally, we will continue modernising our facilities with a new sports centre in Marbehan and the extension of the Town Hall, for which the building permit has just been submitted.
Investing in buildings is important, but modernising the administration is just as important. We are continuing the digitisation of our services to offer citizens a simpler, faster and more accessible administration. This evolution comes with major IT security work, launched following an NIS2 audit, because protecting citizens' data is now a fundamental responsibility.
Good management does not mean spending more. It means spending better, at the right time, to prepare for the future.
“Beyond the major construction projects, municipal life continues to be marked by a host of local initiatives: village get-togethers, summer camps, cultural events, activities at the cultural centre, and prevention and information campaigns for residents. How do you intend, in the coming months, to further support and structure this associative and cultural life, and what new tools (participatory budgeting, communication, partnerships) are you considering to further strengthen the link between the municipality, the villages, associations and citizens around the Habay project?”
A municipality lives above all thanks to its residents. Associations, sports clubs, youth movements, cultural players and hundreds of volunteers are the true engine of our villages.
I believe the municipality is not meant to do everything itself. However, it must create the conditions that allow local initiatives to develop. Our role is to support, simplify and trust.
That is why, from next year, we will create an administrative “Citizenship” unit. It will bring together, among other things, the Social Cohesion Plan, the Public Digital Space and, above all, a liaison officer between associations and the municipal administration.
This officer will become the associations' single point of contact. The aim is simple: to make volunteers' lives easier, simplify their procedures and support them in their projects. Association leaders already give a great deal of their time. It is up to us to spare them unnecessary administrative burdens.
This new service will also develop citizen participation further. I do not believe in uniform mechanisms imposed from above. Every project deserves its own form of consultation: public meetings, participatory workshops, working groups, digital consultations... What matters is involving citizens when their experience can enrich public decision-making.
We will also continue to strengthen our communication and partnerships with associations, schools, the Cultural Centre, the Nature Park and all the active forces of our territory.
Ultimately, my vision is simple: a municipality is stronger when the administration is efficient, elected officials set a clear direction, and citizens have the freedom and means to get involved in local life. It is this trust in local initiatives that, in my view, moves a territory forward.