This Thursday, 13 February, the trade unions had a further opportunity to explain their positions and put their ideas to the test in a televised debate.
Faced with the MR President, they could have defended their arguments, answered questions and justified their blockades. Instead, they chose another path: silence on set, noise in the street.
A missed opportunity to explain their vision to citizens, discuss the ongoing reforms and put forward concrete arguments against ours.
When you avoid the debate, it's often because you have nothing to offer. Where are their solutions to safeguard our social security? How do they intend to get Belgium back to work? Radio silence.
At the MR, we stand by our positions. We debate, we explain, we move forward. The country needs frank dialogue, not a caricature of opposition.
This is all the more surprising given that the unions had already been received on Tuesday 12 February by Deputy Prime Minister David Clarinval as part of the G10. A meeting during which the importance of social dialogue was reaffirmed, along with the need to adapt our policies to the challenges of our time.
The MR President extends his hand to those who want to move the country forward. But that requires the courage to stand behind one's ideas in front of citizens…