The speech on the state of Wallonia is a tradition based in the south of the country for ten years. Ministers-presidents are used to communicating a series of figures and statistics that allow us to understand how Wallonia is doing and how Walloons live. It is also an opportunity to take stock of the policies carried out or to mark out the policies that will be taken. In 2024, at the end of the legislature and a stone’s throw from the regional elections of June 9, the outgoing Minister-President, Elio Di Rupo (PS), had not delivered a speech on the state of Wallonia.
“We face a complicated situation“, Acts Minister-President Dolimont (MR) in the first seconds of his speech. He recalls the context in which one mingle”persistent inflation“, “War in Ukraine“, THE “American customs duties“, “An unstable global political climate“. He also underlines a”Global economic situation which has local repercussions, as announced by the closure of CORA stores“.
“Policies have a responsibility in the situation we are experiencing“Consider Adrien Dolimont.”Because we did not dare to change things, make them evolve“, He continues, believing that we must dare to change the way of doing politics.”Il There are things that we will not do anymore, because by dint of doing as before, because we had always done like that, Wallonia could not advance as it should have done“, Adds the Minister-President. He then lists the challenges that Wallonia faces: economic challenge, environmental challenge, digital challenge, industrial challenge, rise of extremes.
