This week, the Mouvement Réformateur stops off in Chiny, a vast municipality in the Gaume region crossed by the Semois river, which brings together twelve villages and combines nature, tourism and rural life.
Mayor since 2006, Sébastian Pirlot was resoundingly re-elected in October 2024. For this new term, the Town intends to continue several investments useful for everyday life: modernisation of the water network, renovation of the façades of the Château du Faing, a new hall for the public works department, conversion of the former “Bûcher” of Moyen into a village hall, as well as projects related to tourism and soft mobility.
Sébastian, you have been mayor of Chiny for almost twenty years, and in 2024 voters clearly renewed their trust in you, with a majority of twelve out of seventeen seats. How are you approaching this new term, and after all these years, what remains the driving force behind your commitment to Chiny and its villages?
The driving force of my commitment is - and will always remain - the development of my municipality, where I was born and have always lived. Since the list I had the honour of leading in 2006 took office, we have invested several million euros (without burdening the municipal finances, I must stress!) in numerous projects to improve residents' quality of life. I am convinced that concrete achievements help reconcile citizens with politics. The municipality is the hardest level for an elected official: you are never judged on promises, but on achievements.
The municipality is launching or preparing several projects: modernisation of the water distribution network, the new works hall in the economic activity zone, renovation of the façades of the Château du Faing, and the future village hall in Moyen. Which of these will be most decisive for residents in the coming years, and how do you ensure responsible financial management while continuing to invest?
I'd like to say they will all be decisive. For several years we have pursued a strict budgetary and financial policy which, combined with significant timber sales (we are a rural, forested municipality), has given us particularly sound management: we haven't raised taxes, and we have no taxes on SMEs. The proof of our good management? This year we will carry out over 2 million euros' worth of works without taking out a single loan, using only our own savings.
The Semois river, the campsites, outdoor activities and heritage make Chiny an important destination in the Gaume region. The Town is working, among other things, on setting up a municipal tourist office, finalising the privatisation of the campsite while maintaining beach access, and on soft mobility initiatives. What ambition do you hold for Chiny's tourism development, and how do you turn this appeal into a concrete benefit for businesses, associations and all the villages?
The privatisation of the Chiny campsite is now complete, to everyone's great satisfaction (except the ECOLO opposition 😊). We found that in today's world, a campsite run by a municipality no longer made sense: you need professionals in the field. And frankly, we don't regret this decision: everyone is delighted with it. The municipal tourist office is nearing completion (within 1 or 2 months), as is the soft mobility initiative (on 20 September we are opening a path of over 2 kilometres reserved exclusively for pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders). Proof that where there's a will, there's a way…