This week we head to Rixensart, to meet Patricia Lebon, mayor for two terms now and 200% committed to her municipality for much longer than that.
From alderwoman to mayor, she inherited the mayoral sash during the previous term and was re-elected at the head of the municipality by doubling her preferential vote score. A meeting with a personality of impressive determination.
“Although you inherited the mayoral sash during the previous term, you were an alderwoman for a very long time before that. You even experienced the FDF in the municipality. Can you look back on your atypical but resolutely liberal career?”
My career has been rather unconventional. It follows the common thread of a deep and constant conviction: to champion liberal, efficient management close to residents, in the common interest.
In 1988, as a self-employed optician, I was approached by Jacqueline Herzet to feature on her list “Municipal Interests”. After much thought, I eventually agreed, because I told myself that “if I didn't have the courage to get involved, I could never again complain about politicians”.
I was directly elected as a municipal councillor in Rixensart, in the opposition. This mandate was very important because it allowed me to understand and grasp how a municipality works.
In 1995, I started as an alderwoman, and that role shaped me. Politics is learnt on the ground there: listening, arbitrating, moving files forward despite constraints. That gave me an even more precise understanding of the municipality, its strengths and weaknesses. My open-minded upbringing and my passion for geopolitics greatly influenced my view on defending individual freedoms and the importance of dialogue between levels of government. Even though structures have changed, that mindset has always stayed with me.
When I took up the mayoral sash in 2017, it wasn't a planned culmination, but rather a responsibility I took on. Moving from the shadows into the full spotlight requires a different energy, a different pace, but my foundations remained the same: transparency, rigour, closeness to residents and ethics.
In fact, what might seem “atypical” is just the sum of coherent choices in harmony with my convictions. I have always preferred to build while staying true to myself, without looking for shortcuts. And if my career is resolutely liberal, it's because I'm convinced that freedom, local initiative and trust in citizens form the best compass for governing a municipality.
“The majority in Rixensart brings together Alliance Pluraliste-MR (with Les Engagés within AP), SolidaRix (PS) and DéFI&Citoyens. A notable feature: it's the only municipality in Walloon Brabant where DéFI is represented in the majority. How does the cohabitation work?”
The cohabitation works because everyone knows why they're there: to govern, not to eye each other with suspicion. It's the result of daily, sometimes demanding, work.
In Rixensart, we have chosen a majority that embraces the diversity of political sensitivities, but shares the same requirement: stability, budgetary rigour, transparency, ethics and decisions useful to residents.
The fact that “DéFI-Citoyens” is part of the majority, a first in Walloon Brabant, is no coincidence. It shows that we are able to move beyond partisan reflexes to build a coherent, results-oriented coalition. Everyone puts their priorities on the table and each one is analysed to move the municipality forward pragmatically, avoiding unnecessary ideological tension as much as possible.
Let's be clear: there are debates, sometimes heated ones. That's normal, even healthy. But these debates lead to results. The general interest must prevail. The municipality deserves better than posturing. Concretely, that means a lot of dialogue, honest arbitration and loyal collegial functioning. The guiding line is clear: improving residents' quality of life through rigorous, forward-looking management.
“You stated in a press release that you wanted to work with your majority primarily on mobility impacts, strengthening citizen participation, and evolving waste management policy. What's the outcome after a year in office?”
After a year, the outcome is clear: we've brought even more consistency to mobility and launched actions that genuinely change daily life. On the multimodal offer, the arrival of car-sharing, the development of secure bicycle parking and improved active travel routes meet a simple goal: allowing everyone to choose their mode of transport according to their needs, without constraint and without ideology.
We have also clarified the traffic framework. 30 km/h zones are deployed where they make sense, where safety requires it and where traffic demands slower speeds. This isn't a symbolic gesture; it's a tool to protect local residents.
Finally, we have launched a structured effort on road repairs based on two clear criteria: the actual condition of the surface and traffic intensity. This lets us invest where the impact is most direct for residents. Several priority projects have already been completed, and others will follow under a multi-year plan.
Is everything finished? No. After a year, we can say the direction is clear: more multimodality, more safety, and roads treated seriously rather than in reaction to outbursts of anger. It's a pragmatic, deliberate and, above all, effective approach.
On citizen participation, we've changed pace. We're working on setting up a citizens' assembly that will be a genuine tool for future decisions. We also plan to relaunch citizen meetings, allowing residents to speak up, share their concerns with us, and thus be involved earlier in policy decisions. It's not perfect yet, but the momentum is there.
On waste policy, the choice of smart-chip containers in Rixensart has paid off. Rubbish production has indeed dropped significantly. On cost: as in other Walloon municipalities, collection and processing costs had to be passed on to comply with the Walloon decree on the “true cost” principle.
On finances, the rigorous management we carry out allows us to maintain stable taxation and to have reduced the property tax.