Walloon politicians must grasp Brussels is their economic engine, says MR leader Bouchez

Georges-Louis Bouchez, president of the MR party, is pushing for a significant restructuring of Belgium's federal system, proposing a "francophone federalization" of competencies. He argues that Brussels should be the economic engine for Wallonia, with Wallonia providing land and resources. Bouchez believes this integration is not being sufficiently exploited, stating, "The greatest chance for French speakers in this country is that Brussels is overwhelmingly French-speaking, and we are not exploiting that enough." He envisions transferring economic development, foreign trade, and international image matters from the Walloon and Brussels regions to the Wallonia-Brussels Federation.

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The Walloon political class must understand that its engine for economic development is Brussels.

This proposal echoes the ideas of Jean Gol, a prominent figure from the MR party who passed away 30 years ago. Bouchez aims to reverse the trend of regionalization that has diminished the role of the French Community since the 1988 state reform. The French Community was even renamed "Wallonia-Brussels Federation" in 2011 to reflect its regional focus. Bouchez's plan seeks to consolidate more power at the Federation level, viewing Brussels as the primary driver of economic growth for the francophone population.

Bouchez revealed that discreet meetings are underway with partners in the "Azur" majority coalition to discuss this reform. He is reportedly in regular dialogue with Yvan Verougstraete, the leader of Les Engagés party, on the matter. However, implementing such a significant institutional change would require a two-thirds majority in parliament, necessitating the support of opposition parties. Bouchez acknowledged that a concrete proposal must first be presented before opening discussions with other political groups.

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I am a great supporter of francophone federalization of competencies, that is to say, returning many more matters to the Wallonia-Brussels Federation rather than to the Walloon and Brussels Regions: foreign trade, everything related to international image, even issues like economic development.

This initiative contrasts with the approach of former PS leader Paul Magnette, who during the previous legislative term advocated for increased regionalization to strengthen the four regions of Belgium. That project, however, never materialized. The current proposal faces the challenge of gaining broader political consensus, as it requires buy-in from parties beyond the ruling coalition to achieve the necessary parliamentary majority.

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The greatest chance for French speakers in this country is that Brussels is overwhelmingly French-speaking, and we are not exploiting that enough.