Georges-Louis Bouchez extends his position as party president until 2024, we learned this weekend from several MR internal sources. The dilemma was no longer such. The Reform Movement would form a unit long enough to get through the five 2024 elections before participating in its own internal elections. The issue was going to be made official this Monday at the party headquarters.
But this Monday, the issue was not made official at all by the party’s “small” office, the MR executive, which includes Sophie Wilmès, David Clarinval, Pierre-Yves Jeholet, Willy Borsus, David Leisterh and Georges-Louis Butcher. On the contrary, it seems that the discussion dragged on, making the members of the Parliamentary Intergroup wait.
“Georges-Louis Bouchez defends the values of the MR with exemplary energy”
At the end of this meeting no information was communicated on this point. “You can imagine that if a decision had been made, we would have sent you a press release,” responded the president of the Liberals, visibly tired of this question so intriguing the press.
According to our sources, it seems that the question of extension would be accompanied by a series of conditions, such as the supervision of the president and certain requirements regarding campaigning and the constitution of lists. But the blues leader doesn’t seem to want to be incriminated. The episode of the 11 mothers-in-law had already shown that Montois’ supervision did not work.
What is at stake is the possibility of reaching an agreement with the rest of the parties after the 2024 elections (autonomous, federal, European, provincial and municipal). Some fear that the personality of Georges-Louis Bouchez could constitute a barrier that allows elected officials of the MR to access majorities. The president of the PS, Paul Magnette, recently declared that he preferred a government without the MR and without the N-VA. Ecolo co-presidents Rajae Maouane and Jean-Marc Nollet take every opportunity to hold Bouchez responsible for all the evils.
It is in this context that it was decided not to decide on an extension yet.
