At the PS, Paul Magnette does not completely close the door to the N-VA, but in Brussels, it is Ahmed Laaouej who is the boss

Ahmed Laaouej’s speech does not include the slightest opening for a majority with Bart De Wever’s party.

This radicalism in the rejection of the N-VA, strangely, is not found in the speech of its president, Paul Magnette.

Thursday, during the wishes of the national PS, and in the absence of Ahmed Laaouej (flu), the former mayor of Charleroi adopted another register, during an interview granted to Terzake (VRT). “There is no sanitary cordon against the N-VA, this is the difference with Vlaams Belang”, replied Paul Magnette, twice, to the question of whether the PS was closing the door to Brussels negotiations on Cieltje Van Achter and the N-VA. Paul Magnette, despite repeated questions on this subject, took care not to issue a veto.

The president of the PS, on the other hand, drew out several arguments to justify the current refusal of his party, pointing out “the daily provocations of the N-VA, like this Thursday again with Theo Francken, but also notes (Editor’s note: the Flemish super note, written by Elke Van den Brandt) which are unacceptable.”

Paul Magnette also attempted to reverse the perspective, disconcertingly stating that “the N-VA doesn’t really want to go there, but is trying to pass the Black Pete (black jack) to the PS“. While himself trying to send the black valet to the MR.”It is not correct that the MR does not take any initiative as long as there is no federal government”, declared Paul Magnette on the VRT.

“I see that Paul Magnette is singularly obsessed with the MR. It’s still quite serious what he said”

On one part of the observation, the socialists are however not wrong: for a month and the failure of the opening to Ecolo and Défi, no significant maneuver has been launched by the trainer David Leisterh (MR).

For the rest and in substance, the position of Ahmed Laaouej, president of the Brussels PS, clearly differs from that of Paul Magnette. While the first does not leave the slightest glimpse of hope for a Brussels PS-N-VA coalition, the second is careful not to completely close the door.

Should we see this as an indication of a significant divergence? Not necessarily. Everyone within the party is aware that tensions existed between the two men, at the start of the last legislature, on the Brussels institutional aspect.

Differences also emerged in the summer of 2020, when Paul Magnette negotiated the formation of a federal government for several weeks with Bart De Wever. Ahmed Laaouej was then the leading figure of the movement which had coalesced within the PS to succeed in causing this alliance to fail.

“There is no conflict”

Relations between the two men have since warmed up.

“There is no conflict between Ahmed Laaouej and Paul Magnette, but we cannot deny that they do not always have the same visions of things”observes a socialist deputy.

Paul Magnette and Ahmed Laaouej also speak from different positions, and according to contrary dynamics.

Ahmed Laaouej, according to thes statutes of the PS, has a mandate to negotiate the Brussels government agreement in complete autonomy, while Paul Magnette does not participate directly in a negotiation which, moreover, does not excite the Walloon executives of the PS.

The Brussels resident, reinforced by his good personal electoral score in June, has growing legitimacy within the party. Conversely, Carolo’s star has faded since the party’s electoral defeat in Wallonia

“More the fact that Paul Magnette is weakened does not change anything. Philippe Moureaux and Laurette Onkelinx also had a hand in the Brussels negotiations in their time as federation presidents“, adds a socialist source.

The conclusion is clear. Paul Magnette remains the president of the national PS. But in Brussels, Ahmed Laaouej is the only boss.

No head, apart from Rachid Madrane and Charles Picqué, no longer seems to stand out in this state in the state that is the Brussels PS.

“Alas his ideas are more alive than ever”: Paul Magnette’s message on the death of Jean-Marie Le Pen

Pressure on Ahmed Laaouej

This does not mean, however, that the pressure weighing on Ahmed Laaouej’s shoulders is zero.

Because the president of the Brussels PS must deal with external pressure. That of the media, particularly Flemish, of economic circles (Voka, etc.), of subsidized ABSL, but also of administrations and IPOs, who are worried about their staff and their large-scale projects. Last week, 21 employees of the Molenbeek CPAS, for example, lost their jobs due to the political impasse.

It is in particular to respond to this blockage that Ahmed Laaouej said he was ready to do “function the outgoing government and will take initiatives in Parliament”.

For how long? The socialists still say they hope to form a government in which the CD&V would replace the N-VA. The socialists seem to be the only ones who still believe in it…