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🇧🇪 Belgium /Elections & Politics

Georges-Louis Bouchez: “If I were prime minister, I would strike a different tone from Bart De Wever to rally the population”

From La Libre Belgique · () French

Translated from French and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

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  • MR leader Georges-Louis Bouchez used a theatrical rally at Waterloo to project a combative, reform-minded image ahead of a difficult period for Belgium’s Arizona coalition.
  • He rejected the idea that the venue signaled preparations for an electoral defeat in 2029, insisting the MR would win that election.
  • The party opposes raising VAT as the government seeks 10 billion euros in savings, while Bouchez also called for faster deportations of people in illegal immigration status.

Georges-Louis Bouchez took the stage beneath Waterloo’s Lion’s Mound in sunlight and clouds of MR-colored smoke, his eyes watering and voice hoarse. The theatrical entrance set the tone for a political comeback that promises to become a test of strength inside Belgium’s Arizona coalition.

The choice of Waterloo carried an unavoidable historical shadow. Napoleon, one of the MR president’s models, lost his final battle there. Bouchez embraced the symbolism rather than avoiding it. “Winning or losing is part of life. What matters is leaving a lasting mark on your era with reforms that shape and improve the common good,” he told the crowd.

Winning or losing is part of life. What matters is leaving a lasting mark on your era with reforms that shape and improve the common good.

· Georges-Louis BouchezHe used Waterloo’s symbolism while describing the reformist image he wants the MR to project.

Some participants quietly wondered whether the setting was meant to prepare supporters for a possible defeat in the 2029 elections. Bouchez rejected that interpretation. “Not at all,” he said after the meeting. But, he added, supporters must learn not to fear losing if they want to win. “And we will win in 2029, I’m telling you.”

Not at all.

· Georges-Louis BouchezHe rejected the suggestion that the Waterloo setting was preparing supporters for a possible 2029 electoral defeat.

The MR had asked several elected officials to choose historical figures who had left their mark. Mathieu Bihet selected Winston Churchill, Bernard Quintin chose Nicolas Fouché, and Boris Dilliès chose Charlie Chaplin because he did serious work without taking himself too seriously.

On migration, Bouchez adopted a harder line and invited Dutch Defence Minister Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius, who opposes illegal immigration, to speak. He called for authorities to “send many more people back, much faster and much more forcefully.” He also said 31% of people held in Belgian prisons were in the country illegally, arguing that illegal immigration had become one of the largest sources of labor for criminal organizations.

And we will win in 2029, I’m telling you.

· Georges-Louis BouchezHe told supporters that the MR would win the next election.

The most immediate confrontation concerns the Arizona coalition’s budget conclave. The government has committed to finding 10 billion euros in savings, while Prime Minister Bart De Wever has warned that VAT may need to rise. The MR, however, has maintained an absolute veto on a VAT increase. The supplied article ends while describing the party’s budget position.

Send many more people back, much faster and much more forcefully.

· Georges-Louis BouchezHe called for a tougher approach to people in illegal immigration status.
About this summary

Originally published by La Libre Belgique in French. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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