Stéphanie Cortisse, MP in the Parliament of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation and member of the Education Committee, did not expect that asking factual questions about the representativeness of FAPEO and UFAPEC (parents' association federations) and the Ligue des Familles would trigger such an outcry, such a taboo, such controversy.
"This is the first time anyone has tried to stop me from speaking freely in Parliament! A subject that clearly troubles many opposition parties, and in particular an Ecolo MP and former minister who first tried to have my question declared inadmissible, then cried scandal in the middle of the committee, in breach of the internal rules, to try to silence me," explains the liberal MP.
Questions that could not be more legitimate: "Madam Minister, how representative are these organisations, namely the Ligue des Familles on the one hand, and FAPEO and UFAPEC on the other? How are they constituted? How many parents are affiliated with the Ligue des Familles? How many parents' associations are affiliated with FAPEO and UFAPEC? How do these organisations gather the opinions of parents or parents' associations?"
There should be no taboo about the representativeness of these associations. On the one hand, they receive substantial public subsidies from the Wallonia-Brussels Federation (309,383.63 EUR/year for FAPEO, 341,055.9 EUR/year for UFAPEC and 1,349,993.97 EUR/year for the Ligue des Familles), and on the other hand, FAPEO and UFAPEC are explicitly recognised by the Education Code as institutional actors in education that the Government must consult on draft decrees.
"Education Minister Valérie Glatigny was able to obtain figures on the representativeness of the Ligue des Familles. But what about FAPEO and UFAPEC? Neither the Minister nor the administration has this information. Could these associations not simply communicate it transparently? How many parents' associations have joined: 2, 20, 200, 2000…? Right now, no one knows!" explains Stéphanie Cortisse.
"I will not be intimidated and I will continue to carry out my parliamentary work by asking all the necessary questions, including the awkward ones!" she concludes, noting that, as announced in committee, she has already submitted a written question to explore the topic further and obtain more information and transparency on the representativeness of these associations.