On the occasion of its 20th anniversary, the Centre Jean Gol, the Mouvement Réformateur's think tank, is embarking on a new stage of its development. At a press conference held on 6 June 2025, MR President Georges-Louis Bouchez and the Centre's scientific director, Corentin de Salle, presented the broad outlines of this strategic transformation.
Since its creation in 2005, the Centre Jean Gol has established itself over the years as a major player in intellectual debate in French-speaking Belgium. With more than 20 published works, over 500 analyses, thematic papers and a strong presence in the media, public debates and book fairs, it has become a benchmark. "This think tank was a decisive factor in our 2024 election victory. It will continue to be so, because for me, the political battle is fought first on ideas, even before electoral stakes," said Georges-Louis Bouchez.
Strengthened by this recognition, the Centre Jean Gol takes a further step with its expansion into Flanders. A bilingual logo and a website now available in French and Dutch mark this evolution. "We have already begun recruiting a team of Dutch-speaking researchers. All studies produced in 2024 will be translated into Dutch, and some will even be written first in Dutch before being translated into French," Bouchez explained. This strategy will enable the Centre to produce content tailored to Flemish realities: environment, identity, education and industrial policy, all subjects requiring a region-specific approach.
Another standout initiative: a tour of Flemish universities starting in the second half of 2025. The Centre Jean Gol will meet students and researchers on the campuses of Leuven, Ghent and Antwerp, travelling in a dedicated van. The aim: to share its analyses, build new ties with the Flemish academic world, and broaden the scope of liberal intellectual debate at the national level.
At the same time, the Centre is adapting its communication style with a greater presence on social media and a redesigned visual identity better suited to digital use. This desire to speak beyond activist circles is fully embraced: "Most party think tanks do not communicate outwards. We are making the opposite choice: giving the Centre its own voice in the public sphere, independent and ambitious," insisted the MR President.
Corentin de Salle, the Centre's scientific director, then presented the evolution of the scientific committee, a founding pillar of the Centre Jean Gol since its establishment by Hervé Hasquin. From the outset, this committee has aimed to be demanding, rigorous and intellectually independent. It brings together highly diverse profiles from academic, economic, scientific and literary circles. "Our priority has never been to choose only people who think like us. On the contrary, we want to work with the best, whatever their ideological leaning, as long as they bring solid expertise," Corentin de Salle emphasised.
On 28 June, an expanded meeting at the Fondation Universitaire will bring together current members of the scientific committee, regular experts and new figures from Flanders, who will contribute to the Centre's bilingual development. But this openness does not stop there: the Centre Jean Gol is also strengthening its ties with the French intellectual world. Following notable collaborations with Luc Ferry, Nicolas Bouzou and Gabriel Attal, a special conference is planned for 23 June 2025, with Hubert Védrine's participation announced.
Finally, the Centre Jean Gol will continue its work at European level through the European Liberal Forum (ELF), a network of liberal think tanks of which it is a founding member. With around fifty members today, ELF is an important lever for influencing ideas within the European liberal family. "While several liberal parties are struggling, we at the Centre Jean Gol have made progress. We now want to make our mark more strongly at the European level," concluded Corentin de Salle.
Twenty years after its creation, the Centre Jean Gol shows that it is not an intellectual actor in decline, but an engine of renewal. It is extending its reach, strengthening its rigour, and broadening its horizons. And more than ever, it reaffirms its founding purpose: producing ideas to transform society.