Accused of Blocking Teaching Posts, Belgian Lawmaker Geneviève Lazaron Defends Her Record

Geneviève Lazaron, a member of the Belgian Engagés party, has responded to criticism from the activist collective Mars Attacks regarding her status as a teacher while serving as a politician. The collective had accused Lazaron of blocking teaching positions for two decades, preventing younger teachers from securing employment.

Mars Attacks published a critical portrait of Lazaron, alleging she had not resigned from her teaching post for 20 years after transitioning to a political career. The collective claimed this practice blocked hours for new teachers. Lazaron, however, explained that when she took on political roles, such as alderman, she was granted a leave of absence from her teaching duties. She stated that her school utilized a 1995 decree to allow this, and it was not her personal choice to retain the position without actively teaching.

Lazaron further clarified that her teaching hours were not "blocked" but were instead filled by individuals who replaced her during her political mandates. She drew a parallel to union delegates or parliamentary attachés who are also detached from their original public service roles. She also addressed claims that she would receive two pensions, one as a teacher and one as a parliamentarian, stating this is false. Lazaron asserted that she has contributed to both pension schemes but will only receive a single pension, calculated proportionally, as is standard for all Belgians.

The controversy arises amid ongoing tensions within the teaching world in Wallonia-Brussels following the parliamentary vote on the "décret programme II." Social media platforms have seen continued mobilization messages and direct appeals to elected officials from various teacher collectives.

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Lorsque je suis devenue échevine, j'ai été déchargée de mes heures pour prendre en charge le mandat politique. À ce moment-là, mon école a fait valoir un décret de 1995 pour me permettre cette décharge de mes heures. Ce n'était même pas un choix