The MR's New Year greetings tour ended this Sunday, 11 January, in Court-Saint-Etienne. Against a winter backdrop, the MR President first paid tribute to the teams and activists, before standing by choices that are sometimes contested but consistent, such as the partial preservation of nuclear power, the industrial recovery and very concrete support for the farming community, particularly through tax measures and reduced administrative burdens, so that our farmers can live decently within an open trade framework that remains demanding on quality.
On the socio-economic front, the MR President reaffirmed that growth is not a dirty word: it is the condition for creating wealth that can be redistributed, while lasting tax cuts require a real reduction in public spending and in the number of mandates and levels of power. Time-limiting unemployment benefits, reforming the provinces, abolishing the Senate, merging municipalities and public social welfare centres, streamlining structures and ending unjustified tax privileges, particularly for certain intermediaries, are all part of this drive for fairness and equality before tax in the service of working people.
This same logic of responsibility shapes his vision of security and integration: the “polluter pays” principle for rioters, firmness towards those who abuse Belgian hospitality, deportation of offenders with irregular residency status, but also a condition for access to nationality tied to a genuine integration process and adherence to shared values, so as to resolutely combat all forms of discrimination at the same time.
For Georges-Louis Bouchez, being a bulwark against the extremes means refusing easy excuses, respecting those who work hard, such as farmers, and speaking hard truths about migration, social and budgetary realities.
Finally, the MR President made a direct appeal to activists: to be “campaigning every day”, to go back to door-to-door canvassing, to meet citizens, to defend on the ground the reforms already made and those to come, without fear of “stepping off the beaten path” in order to leave a mark useful to future generations rather than to the next elections.
By 2026, he insisted, the Mouvement Réformateur's ambition is for everyone to be happier, freer and prouder in the evening than in the morning, provided they dare to act: “You can be the most intelligent, the hardest-working, the most exemplary person. If you lack courage, you will never change anything.” To extend this moment and discover all the proposals, you can read the full speech on the Mouvement Réformateur website
Read the full speech by Georges-Louis Bouchez in Court-Saint-Etienne
Hello, hello everyone.
It's really a pleasure to be with you this morning, in this almost fairy-tale setting, arriving on the road with the snow. It's magnificent, we even have a bit of snow on the windows, in the end. And as Qassem told you… this is our last New Year's greetings gathering, so we're finishing in style. On this occasion, I really wanted to begin by greeting and congratulating all our teams, since it is considerable work every year to make this tour possible and, more broadly, to allow the Mouvement Réformateur to become the leading French-speaking political force and every day be the engine of these reforms.
To begin this speech, I wanted to draw your attention to events happening thousands of kilometres from here, but with which we must be in total solidarity. This is what is happening today in Iran, and indeed has been for many weeks and many years.
This photo is, in my view, truly the embodiment of the very essence of courage. It is the courage to risk one's life for an ideal. That is absolute courage. It is, in fact, the courage to fight for the implementation of a liberal democracy. It is the courage to fight for freedoms that seem to us today so ordinary, so simple. This courage of women and men in Iran today must make us realise how fragile these freedoms are and that they must be defended every day. It must also lead us to full solidarity. Because our liberal project is a universal project. You cannot want freedom for yourself without fighting for that of others. And what strikes and disappoints me is that our media today have devoted far too little space to what is happening there.
So truly, dear friends, dear liberal activists, I ask you to do everything you can. And sometimes that's simply a share on Facebook. It's simply talking about it among those around you. It's simply offering support to this entire Iranian diaspora fighting for more freedom in their country. I really ask you to be fully mobilised for every single person around the world fighting for freedom. Because our project is so wonderful that there are billions of people across the planet who want this ideal, who would want to live in a liberal democracy. So always hold your head high. Because this project is the finest project of humanity. So truly, a thunderous round of applause for these Iranian women and men who are fighting, who are fighting for this liberal project.
I spoke of the silence surrounding these events, and yet these events, we hope, will have consequences: consequences throughout the region, since the Iranian regime is such a destabilising factor, and therefore consequences at a global level bringing more stability, more peace. In such a revolution, the European Union ought to be fully an actor. Yet today, we see that Europe is too often merely a commentator.
A commentator on the unacceptable excesses committed from time to time by the President of the United States. A commentator on violations of fundamental rights, whether in Arab countries or in Russia. A commentator on espionage threats, on attacks against social or environmental rights committed by China. But how can we be sincere? How, above all, can we be credible in such positions when we are entirely dependent on the United States for our defence, entirely dependent on Russia and Arab countries for our energy, and entirely dependent on China for our industry? Today, Europe must leave the comfort of postures to face the harshness of reality. And this reality compels us. It compels us to do what we are doing with this government, namely to invest in defence. It's so easy to compare the price of an F-35 with any social policy. But without military capability, we will no longer have the opportunity to have social security. Without military capability, we will no longer have the opportunity to carry our values across the world.
It's also so easy to think that the MR was playing political games by wanting to save nuclear power. On the contrary, we contributed to ensuring, at least partially, energy autonomy for our country. That was not a political game, it was a fight for the common good and above all for future generations. It is the same when the MR, certainly more boldly than many others, says that we must reinvest in industry. Yes, that takes courage, industry does. Because industry, believe it or not, sometimes pollutes, makes noise, brings a whole series of constraints that we no longer want. But industry is the engine of progress.
If today we can distribute wealth, it is because there are those who create it. If politicians today must work to improve well-being, it is because there are engineers who contribute to it. So I say this to my local elected representatives too: we must be strong in the face of all constraints. Because everyone wants industry, but never in their own backyard. People think the neighbour can take it. But without industry, our country has no ability to project itself into the future. It must not strengthen itself only in words. It must work towards its industrial autonomy, its energy autonomy, its defence autonomy, but also towards preserving its food autonomy.
As you have seen in recent hours, there is the farmers' revolt against the Mercosur treaty. I want to be completely honest with you about this. We need trade agreements. We need free trade. The attitude of the United States is resulting in the closure of certain markets for the European Union. Customs tariffs, for example, are a real threat to our pharmaceutical industry. At the same time, our stance towards South America also compels us to strengthen our alliance with these countries. This is why a treaty like Mercosur is necessary, but not on just any terms. Not by selling off the quality of our products, not by selling off our farmers' incomes.
And since we must have the courage to speak the truth, now that this treaty is gradually coming into force, we must work to ensure our farmers can live decently. That's why, as early as next week, we will go to the government table to propose tax reductions, such as tax exemptions on our farmers' FAC prices, to give them a decent income. That's why we are going to work over the next 15 to 20 years to eliminate all superfluous administrative burdens. That's why, together with David Clarinval, we are going to strengthen controls so that imported products meet the same quality requirements as the products we produce in Europe.
And above all, ladies and gentlemen, I want to say to the farmers of our country that the Mouvement Réformateur stands fully by their side. Not in words, in deeds. Because farmers embody two essential things. They are the guardians of our autonomy. Because if tomorrow, on top of everything else, we must also import our food, Europe's fragility in the world will be even greater. And above all, we who are the party of working people, are there workers braver, who sacrifice more, who are simultaneously farmer, accountant, lawyer, health officer, so numerous are the obligations weighing on them, than farmers?
So, ladies and gentlemen, I really ask for a thunderous round of applause for the farmers of this country. I spoke about Europe, but Europe, and he won't contradict me on this, is not other people… Europe is, above all, us. We must not wait for others to carry out reform. We must implement it. That's what we're doing today at the national level. Limiting unemployment benefits to two years is not a budgetary measure. It will of course have budgetary consequences. But above all, it's a cultural revolution. Without fanfare.
It means that the state must always stand by your side when you face a misfortune in life. But it also means that the state is each and every one of us. And that our duty, our responsibility, is to contribute whenever we have the opportunity to do so. Limiting unemployment benefits to two years is, above all, about supporting people so they can take their lives back into their own hands. This two-year unemployment measure is bringing us enormous controversy and attacks today. That will be the case for many other policies too, rest assured. But what actually matters in politics? Is it that we want constant kisses? Then we should sign up for the Miss Belgium contest. Or become footballers. Or singers.
Having none of these three qualities, I told myself it might be better to go into politics. But leaving a mark is not simple. Generally, you leave a mark when you step off the path. You see, here there is snow. When you walk on the path, there is already no more snow. If you want to leave a mark, you have to walk through the fields. But it is always safer to walk on the path. But it is the only way to reform the path. It is the only way to change things.
But if we are sincere in our commitment, we cannot claim we will change things while pretending it will all be a walk on rose petals. That would be nice. That would be nice day to day. But we must never lose our compass. It has to be fair. And to be fair, these reforms must land in the right places. We will have to increase growth. That suspect word, that guilty word. But how else do you expect to distribute wealth you would not have created? Yes, growth is essential. That growth must happen through progress, through knowledge. We need growth in well-being, growth in quality of life. And for that, we need economic growth.
We will also have to reduce public spending. Because the liberal party is the party that wants to lower taxes. But if we are also fully sincere about that, we cannot lower taxes without cutting spending. That is why we will reform the provinces to reduce the number of political mandates existing in our country. That is why we will abolish the Senate. That is why we must move forward. We will merge municipalities and CPAS. But we must also make progress on the merger of municipalities. Not just anyhow. Not just anyhow. That is why, starting Monday, I will launch, within the Mouvement Réformateur, an initiative, first with our mayors, and then with all elected representatives, to set the fairest criteria, in order to reduce the number of municipalities and allow Wallonia to make savings that will be returned to working people.
Overall, we must reduce the number of political mandates. And I know that is not easy to say in a room where mandate holders are present. But ladies and gentlemen, can we really keep having, if you look at the Brussels region, more than 100 people, for example, holding a political mandate in the cultural sector? Would it not be better for that money to go to creative people? Would it not be better for that money to allow cultural workers to be paid better?
So that is just one example among many. I could give plenty more. Because our country today suffers from the number of intermediaries. Among these, you have certainly seen the issue of the health insurance funds. Well, I'll let you in on something. I don't like sparking controversy. I knew this wouldn't be cool. The problem is that in this country, as soon as you say something sensible, it can become controversial. Take an example: the health insurance funds. I knew I shouldn't touch that, but it was stronger than me. Why?
Well, of course, no one wants to weaken the patient. But today our health insurance funds receive a delegated mission from the State, which is moreover carried out by a non-politicised, non-partisan, fully public body called CAAMI. And on top of that, these health insurance funds offer private insurance. And what did I find? That they did not pay the same tax as the other private insurance funds. You go looking for insurance with AXA or DKV, I picked them at random. Well, these companies pay tax. Corporate tax, not the health insurance funds.
I told myself, this must be a mistake. It's not possible that health insurance funds, essentially left-leaning, would not want to pay tax. They are so quick to tell us that others must pay tax. (And on a somewhat Christian principle, I do have Les Engagés as a partner, some traces remain) I told myself that charity well ordered begins with oneself. Well, it turns out that's not the case. So I dug a little. And what did I discover there?
What it turns out is that an association like CAP 48 pays a tax on its assets. Why? Because there is a levy in Belgium: you have to pay 0.45% of the value of your assets in tax for all large non-profit associations. The poor sisters do it. And there too, apparently, the health insurance funds don’t. That’s crazy. Because when you try to apply corporate tax to them, they say “No, we do social economy”. I’m sure DKV would be just as happy to do social economy for just as long with health insurance, but at different rates. So if it’s not corporate tax, it’s the non-profits. Ah, no, then suddenly they’re not doing social economy any more. They’re certainly doing commercial processing.
So, ladies and gentlemen, through this example, I obviously have no desire to tax more. And if the consequence of this debate is to lower corporate tax, and/or lower the tax on non-profits, or even abolish it, I would be delighted. But there is one thing I can no longer tolerate: hypocrisy. And in the public management of this country, there are enormous problems.
So it’s hard for me, as Jean-Pascalle Labille, to explain that our companies should pay more taxes, that bosses earn too much, when some of them earn much less than he does, while at the same time seeing that political parties have secured tax exemptions and tax loopholes for those same actors.
So the only thing we want is equality before tax. But we don’t want it to annoy people. We want it because equality before tax will make two things possible.
The first is to stop increasing the tax burden on those who get up to work every day, to invest and even to save. Because yes, we have the right to save.
And it will make a second thing possible. If everyone pays their fair share of tax, we will be able to lower that tax. Lower it for the women and men who work in our country. But there can no longer be any question of privileges. There can no longer be any question of always squeezing the same people dry.
That is why I made a commitment. This government has made 32 billion euros of budgetary effort. 80% in spending cuts, 20% in revenue. That is a balance never before seen in our country. Previously it was more or less 50-50, on the best of days. There must be no new taxes in future. We must end this legislature without any new levy. Zero new taxes, that was our commitment. We must honour it, for all the women and men who work.
So, socio-economic reforms, but also reforms in security. Because justice is the core value of our project. What is justice? It is making sure the vandal becomes the payer. You certainly saw, during the festive season, people who thought celebrating a football victory meant using a wrench on a safe. How original. Fireworks against police officers and destroying buses. Some may be lulled into complacency by this.
I believe we must have zero tolerance for such acts. There is no explanation. There is no social situation that can justify it. Because earlier I spoke about farmers. I can tell you today that if you are the son of a farmer, your future is not laid out for you. Yet I have rarely seen destruction of public property in the province of Luxembourg, or in Walloon Brabant. At some point we must stop making excuses. There is no excuse there.
The polluter-pays principle for vandals is precisely the principle of accountability. It is precisely the principle that says working people should not have to pay for the same bus shelter a fourth time with their taxes. Because people who often don’t work should not be the ones enabling people who have committed criminal acts, and who today are in our prisons and in an irregular situation, to avoid being sent back to their country of origin. And I want to be completely clear on this.
Belgium is a land of welcome and it must remain so. Belgium must better support the women and men who come to our country to build Belgium together with us. But at the same time, our country must be respected. And earning respect means sending the signal that there is no place for those who came here to commit criminal acts. Saying that does not push the party towards the radical right. On the contrary, it is being the true bulwark against the far left and the far right.
It is being the true bulwark against the populists. Because if decent people do not have the courage to confront the problems, if decent people do not dare admit that we have twice as many foreign nationals in our prisons as the European average, then people will fall into the arms of populists, the worst kind. So yes, we will send them back, and we will also ensure that the conditions for obtaining Belgian nationality are tightened, quite simply. To become Belgian, one must successfully complete an integration pathway, which is not currently the case. Because, as I often say, solidarity works both ways. And today we must have the courage to tell someone that there is no future in this country if they don’t learn at least one of the national languages, that there is no way to guarantee living together if they don’t share the same set of values, but that at the same time, all those who make an effort must be rewarded, fully integrated, and that we must fight vigorously against all forms of discrimination.
It is at that price, it is with this principle of justice, that we can be legitimate in our firmness. So, ladies and gentlemen, I dare say it, even if it is not fashionable in this country: I love Belgium. I love this country. This country of progress. And when you love this country, you must know one thing. Being Belgian, or becoming Belgian, is not a right. It is an honour.
So, imagine for a moment leaving here, going to a restaurant, it’s Sunday, you eat the whole meal with champagne, you have lobster, and while you’re at it a bit of caviar too. And at the end, you phone your son or daughter, and tell them they need to come and settle the bill. That’s how we live. Every baby born in Belgium today carries a debt of 50,000 to 60,000 euros to pay off our model. They will also have to earn money for their own personal comfort, and on top of that, to guarantee the solidarity of their generation.
So yes, it is hard. But there are two ways of seeing politics. Either you work for the next elections, or you work for the next generations. The commitment I am asking us to make is to work for the next generations. Because by doing that, we will win the next elections! Because I am sure that voters will recognise honest people, consistent people, and courageous people. I am convinced of it.
And so, when I hear others talking so much about you, it reassures me. Because in politics, when you talk about others, it means you have nothing to say. The only one with something to say today is the Mouvement Réformateur. Because everyone else is talking about us. Everyone. So, truly, I am asking you, I am asking you to always stay the course. Not to weaken. Above all, to be campaigning every day.
Because campaigning is not dirty. An election campaign is not just about getting people to vote for us. It is above all about convincing them of our ideas. And we shouldn’t wait until 2020 to convince people for 2022. Every day, we must convince people of our ideas. We launched this series of conferences, but you, day to day, must go back to door-to-door campaigning. It has been a year since the municipal councils were installed. Now is the right time to go and see the people.
You have to go and shake hands everywhere. You have to campaign every day. And if you have the slightest doubt, you must come back to us. You must not hesitate. Every debate is possible, all the time. You have to arm yourself with arguments. You have to inform yourself. You have to go into battle. You have to go into battle every day. Because yes, we, the liberal party, operate without dogma, but also without the constraints of non-profits, health insurers or trade unions asking us to work for particular interests. We work solely for the common good.
So, with these ideas, I wish you one thing for 2026. That is to be happy. That's the essential thing. To be happier tonight than when you got up this morning. You must never settle for the status quo. Whatever the constraints, take a step back. And if I may, I'll add two things. Be courageous. Because courage is the engine of change. You can be the most intelligent, hardest-working, most exemplary person. If you lack courage, you'll never change anything. And courage, we liberals have plenty of. And above all, above all in 2026, more than ever, be proud of the liberals!