But before achieving this, the politicians met, discussed and negotiated before defining the functioning and characteristics of Walloon Brabant. And that led to some wacky episodes. At the end of a meeting at the Novotel in Wavre (opposite Walibi) the question of choosing the flag came up. The idea was to make a first sketch with the colors of Wallonia (yellow and red) and to place a rooster there, to clearly show that it was a Walloon province. “But we had the obligation to put a lion. So, we decided to lock him in a black triangle guarded by two roosters“, laughs André Flahaut. And in the absence of having an adequate support to draw it… they sat with Louis Michel around a tablecloth to create the flag before tearing it up and leaving with it.
Also came the choice of a capital for the province. If the mayor of Wavre, Charles Aubecq (MR), gave himself the means for his city to become capital, by already preparing the installation of the governor, Nivelles was not far away. The city of Aclots already enjoyed the presence of the courthouse and the first provincial council was held at Waux-Hall. This is where Jacques Otlet (MR, former mayor of Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve) intervened to defend his commune. We even envisaged Chastre hosting the headquarters of the ISBW, confides André Flahaut. The solution was, as usual, the result of a Belgian compromise: Wavre became the administrative capital with the institutions and the governor, Nivelles the economic and judicial capital. And for Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve, we found another title: that of cultural capital of Walloon Brabant.
“Michel and Flahaut… The two old guys from the Muppet Show”
Provincial councilor of the province of Brabant, then provincial councilor of Walloon Brabant, Alain Trussart (Ecolo) was present at Waux-Hall on January 2, 1995 during the first council. He remembers the debates around the choice of the capital. “In hindsight, I find that the choice of capital was wise. This made it possible not to have an economic center around Wavre but to have several zones such as in Nivelles, around Louvain-la-Neuve but also other centers such as football in Tubize“. This also reminds us of an anecdote about Alain Trussart. “During our first provincial council at Waux-Hall (in the performance hall), Louis Michel and André Flahaut were seated side by side and commenting on the debates among themselves, their hands placed on the balustrade… They looked like the two old guys from the Muppet Show“.
A royal visit… but not to Court-Saint-Etienne
Valmy Féaux was the first governor of Walloon Brabant. Former mayor of Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve, he took office in 1995. By the time the governor’s palace was built in Wavre, he was based in Court-Saint-Etienne. He remained there his entire term of office. Approaching 92 years today, the former governor remembers the King’s visit. “The problem is that he did not want to come to Court-Saint-Etienne but to go to Wavre. It took 2-3 days of negotiations for him to make a trip to Court-Saint-Etienne. Finally he came, but didn’t stay long and quickly left for Wavre“.
