This week, the Mouvement Réformateur takes the lead in Sainte-Ode, in the province of Luxembourg. Re-elected at the head of the municipality following the 2024 elections, Pierre Pirard continues his work in an area where the future is being built above all at village level. Redevelopment of the Lavacherie crossing, the creation of stepping-stone housing in Amberloup and new community spaces: these innovative projects share a common ambition, namely offering residents a pleasant living environment while giving young people the means to achieve their wish: settling in their own municipality.
Pierre, being mayor of a rural municipality means knowing the realities of its villages, listening to sometimes very different expectations and making choices that directly affect residents' daily lives. Since you took on this responsibility, which encounter or achievement has particularly shaped your approach to the role? And how do the convictions that drive you translate into your municipal decisions?
There isn't just one encounter that has particularly marked me, there are countless! Because when you have the chance to be close to your fellow citizens, you can take the time to absorb all the richness of these exchanges. Whether it's the history of changing habits and traditions, the hard-to-swallow decisions of the past, historical anecdotes or expectations that are never publicly expressed. In any case, I am very often impressed by the common sense that runs through these conversations. People from the Ardennes are sensible because they know the value of money and the work linked to it. As for my convictions, they are simple: do what is useful for the greatest number, what is fair and what can be clearly explained. Starting from this mantra, it's probably no coincidence that the local representative enjoys the highest level of trust among the population…
In Lavacherie, the redevelopment of the village crossing combines safety, mobility and better management of wastewater and rainwater. Behind these works lies a whole reflection on everyone's place in public space. Do you think that, in the event of a merger of municipalities, this could speed up the development of Sainte-Ode's other villages?”
Each time we intervene in the layout of a village, we do so only after carefully assessing what is truly necessary, and we never embark on unnecessarily costly projects. This is all the more necessary given that we are responsible for a particularly extensive network of municipal roads (332 km) for a population of 2,700 souls… This particularity really worries me at a time when the idea of merging municipalities is becoming increasingly prominent. When I hear the population thresholds being proposed for the new entities, this will lead to groupings that fail to take into account the different living areas of the various villages within the entity, and this risks putting us at a disadvantage compared to larger centres. Not to mention that we cannot force people to travel 25 or 30 km to reach their municipal administration! So I think that, rather than speeding up the process, it risks destroying it for us…
Enabling young people to stay and live in their municipality is a key issue for the future of rural areas. In Amberloup, you plan to create stepping-stone housing in the former gendarmerie barracks, while four community spaces are also announced as part of rural development. Beyond access to housing, what needs to come together for a young person to truly picture themselves in Sainte-Ode, building their life there and taking part in their village's life?
We are fortunate to be able to count on an age pyramid that gives a large place to young people (we're in the Walloon top ranking!). This is linked to a genuine tradition of dynamism in community life and to the proximity of the Grand Duchy, which today is the municipality's leading source of employment. Young people are very attached to their homeland and, after studying in Liège, Namur or Brussels, are happy to return and settle where their roots lie. However, we must remain vigilant in curbing the pressure on land linked to the presence of holiday cottages and second homes. In addition to creating these stepping-stone housing units, we have also taken measures to limit the expansion of second homes.
As you can see, everything is being done to make life in Sainte-Ode comfortable and pleasant. Don't hesitate to come and see us when you're in the area. You won't be disappointed!