In Libramont-Chevigny, the President of the Parliament of Wallonia Willy Borsus spoke at the Mouvement Réformateur's New Year address in the province of Luxembourg, welcoming "the liberal family united around the values of work, freedom and responsibility".
He first congratulated Libramont on achieving town status "in Libramont, everything is good", before delivering a strong message to the agricultural sector: "If the agricultural sector faces competition, that competition must be balanced, with the same rules and the same tools."
Returning to the debates around Mercosur, he called on the European Parliament to reject any agreement that would weaken local producers:
"If our markets are flooded with products that destroy our industries, that will be a collective failure." Acknowledging the legitimacy of farmers' anger, he recalled that "it is our farmers who, every morning, ensure our food autonomy and the security of our supplies".
On the institutional and economic front, Willy Borsus highlighted "the unprecedented wave of reforms" carried out by MR governments since the start of the legislature: valuing work and effort, unemployment reform limited to two years, lower registration fees, administrative simplifications and defence of nuclear power. "I have never seen, in such a short time, such a succession of structural reforms." He stressed that these measures, though sometimes debated, are "essential" and aim to restore the fundamentals of society and guarantee prospects for future generations.
Finally, the minister firmly condemned political violence, referring to recent incidents in Liège: "You can debate, challenge, argue, but never intimidate. Freedom of expression is not exercised under threat."
He concluded by quoting Voltaire: "I do not agree with what you say, but I will fight so that you may say it", recalling the need for democratic respect as the foundation of living together.
In a warm and friendly atmosphere, he wished everyone a wonderful 2026 marked by action, solidarity and liberal pride, before concluding: "The snow-clearing services don't start until 5am, so let's make the most of it to raise one last glass of Orval to freedom!"
Read the full speech by Willy Borsus, President of the Parliament of Wallonia, at the MR's New Year address in Luxembourg
Good evening to everyone, dear fellow elected representatives, dear activists. Thank you, Benoît, for your words, full of good sense as always, and also reflecting a deep analysis and knowledge of our political family, our convictions and our representatives.
First of all, I would like to congratulate the mayor of Libramont. The last time we met here, Libramont was still a municipality. Since then, ladies and gentlemen, Libramont has been elevated to town status by a unanimous vote of the Walloon Parliament, recognising the many assets, qualities, activity and prospects of this town that welcomes us today. To use that surprising expression now, in Libramont everything is good, just like with the pig. Congratulations, Madam Mayor, of what is now a town.
More seriously, ladies and gentlemen, as with the meeting that has just taken place with our President, Georges-Louis Bouchez, with Benoît, with our parliamentarians and a number of representatives, I would like, and I am certain that I speak on your behalf here, to address a message to the agricultural sector. The agricultural sector present here, present before our assembly, that agricultural sector which we know, because it is part of our roots, because we know their work.
We recognise just how much, when at 6am, at minus 12 degrees, two days ago, the light comes on in the Haute-Ardenne or elsewhere, in Luxembourg or in the province of Namur, or more broadly in Wallonia, it is a farmer starting their work. When we see headlights lighting up the night in autumn, it is probably a farmer finishing their maize silo or bringing in their bales. Today, with this debate on Mercosur, we realise how much we have a particular reckoning with the agricultural sector. While the agricultural sector is of course used to, familiar with competition, it is clear that this can only be exercised in a balanced way, with the same rules, with the same tools.
And if tomorrow our European markets are flooded with beef, poultry, ethanol, sugar, causing entire sections of our rural, economic and agronomic activity to collapse, that would clearly be a collective failure. That is why I feel compelled to insistently relay the message of the rural world that is ours, a message today addressed to the European Parliament, which will have to make an important decision, whether ratification or rejection, in the coming weeks.
Because we know, ladies and gentlemen, we really want to convey this message to you, because we recognise how essential your role is in terms of food autonomy, in terms of the security of our supplies for the future. You were there during Covid, you have been there at every moment in our history.
We do not forget: our message is therefore not only one of support, but also of respect and, if you allow me, a message of affection for your profession and for what you represent. I will keep it brief, because the speakers who follow me will address this in a more detailed and argued way. To show just how much, ladies and gentlemen, as you observe as I do, since the installation of the various federal, community and regional majorities, we have acted resolutely and translated that into a great number of reforms.
We committed ourselves to quickly translating entire sections of our programme, concrete commitments made to our voters and to the population, into political decisions, but also those commitments that, as Benoît recalled, allowed us to become not only the leading political family in the French-speaking area, but also here, in our province, the leading political family in most elections.
These reforms, ladies and gentlemen, I, who have now had a few years of political work behind me, have never seen such a wave, such waves of such significant reforms happen so quickly. Judge for yourselves: Valérie Glatigny is sitting in front of me. In the French Community alone, we could list reforms for long minutes, but let us note the return of the value of work, effort, recognition of teachers and school leaders. The key test in numeracy, reading and writing for basic skills, the ban on mobile phones, raising the pass thresholds from 50% to 60%, for example. Mr Minister-President, the immediate reduction of registration fees to 3% for a primary residence, the future reduction of inheritance taxes, administrative simplifications initiated by Jacqueline Galland, and many other reforms besides.
And at the federal level, Mr Group Leader, Mr Minister, I must say that things have really moved, if you'll allow the expression. Of course, the measures concerning the labour market, the limitation of unemployment benefits to two years, which was supposedly going to cause an absolute cataclysm that, at least in our province, we are still looking for; the measures concerning the return of nuclear power to our energy mix are today a reality, but so many other decisions too, concerning for example student work, flexibility of overtime, flexi-jobs, other measures, Bernard, concerning the presence of our police forces on the streets, the fight against a number of organisations or structures whose aim is to combat our values rather than uphold them, and so many other reforms besides, which lead me to say, ladies and gentlemen, that our political family has fully grasped the stakes that are ours.
When we look at the state of our country, which has immense qualities, we agree on that. But can we close our eyes, for example, to the fact that we have 527,000 long-term sick people in Belgium? A record among European countries. But why should there be, in Belgium, so many reasons that would justify such a disproportionate figure compared to other European countries? More than 300,000 fully compensated unemployed people nationwide. I am only speaking of those who receive benefits. There are more fully compensated unemployed people in Belgium than inhabitants in our province of Luxembourg. How is it that the employment rate, taking the quarterly figures in Wallonia, remains dramatically low at 66-67%? Ladies and gentlemen, these observations are clear. The reforms on the table today, however debated, discussed or contested, are, you will agree, essential reforms.
And the train of reforms will continue, because our shared commitment is a commitment to put the fundamentals of our society, our regions, our communities and our country back in order, so that we can offer prospects, not only to our fellow citizens, not only to the citizens you represent, but also, of course, to future generations. I will not go on much longer, but I would like to end with a thought that seems important to me. You have seen those images, notably in Liège, where Georges-Louis's effigy is burned. You have seen those violent demonstrations previously in Liège, where a number of activists who had simply come to pay tribute to and celebrate Jean-Gaulle were targeted. You have seen, in a great many other demonstrations, not only the expression of different views or opposing opinions, but above all… the will to influence, including through violence, the choices being made, the choices we make, the choices decided by representatives legitimately chosen by the population.
That, ladies and gentlemen, is unacceptable. Voltaire is credited, and that was in the 18th century, since he died in 1778, with this beautiful sentence: "I do not agree with what you say, but I will always fight so that you may say it." Well, ladies and gentlemen, several centuries later, I believe I can say that this phrase is extraordinarily relevant today. And even though we are ready to debate, to be countered, to be challenged, never, never, against anyone, here or elsewhere, will we accept violent attitudes, intimidating attitudes, attitudes that abandon legitimate and democratic debate. I will not go on much longer, because I have a little counter here, you can't see it, but it seems to have turned red, which, generally speaking in life, is not ideal.
Politically speaking, that would truly be a failure. I would therefore like to close these few words by reaffirming my friendship to you, to your loved ones, your families, your sections, your activities, wishing you all a truly wonderful year, and really telling you again how much pleasure I have, how much pleasure we have, in gathering here, in this beautiful town of Libramont. And we shall certainly extend the evening a little further, after listening to the speeches with unfailing attention, because I am told, and Mrs Crucifix, the mayor, points out to me, that the snow-clearing services will only set off at 5am tomorrow morning, allowing us the leisure to have one last drink, perhaps an Orval, among ourselves and among friends.
Long live the liberals! Thank you and happy New Year!