Budgetary conclave and local elections: “The string is really very big”, says the Walloon opposition ironically

The same echo is heard at Ecolo with MP Stéphane Hazée who is trying to reconstruct a less vague picture based on the responses he receives.But it is the most total opacity on elements which will impact people in the coming weeks.“.

The budget conclave will be held this year in mid-November, Budget Minister Adrien Dolimont first announced in committee. He made a mistake: it is scheduled for the first half of October, as usual.

In any case, for the opposition, the result is the same and the analysis is as follows: the MR-Les Engagés majority is spreading as much positive information as possible before the local elections on October 13. The reduction in registration and inheritance taxes, for example. It’s a bonus for the campaign. As for the bad news, we’ll see later.

Figures at the beginning of December

Since mid-July, the socialist opposition, Ecolo and PTB in the Walloon Parliament have been denouncing the lack of precision of the MR government and Les Engagés in the budgetary chapter.

Budget Minister Adrien Dolimont, questioned in committee of the Walloon Parliament, recalls that the Walloon Region is facing a debt that will approach 41 billion euros by the end of 2025.It is urgent to bend the curve“, insists for the umpteenth time the MR Minister-President. The amount of structural efforts to be made over the legislature (5 years) is set at 880 million,”which allows for a reduction of the structural deficit in 7 years, as requested by the European Union within the framework of the excessive deficit procedure“.

“The Walloon Region will be in solidarity with the Wallonia-Brussels Federation: greater efforts by the Region mean less effort for the Federation, given the inertia of its budget in terms of revenue and expenditure. Thus, both entities will respect their share of the Belgian effort with regard to the structural deficit.“The objective of a common return to balance in the intra-French-speaking area is set at 10 years,” explains Adrien Dolimont.By 2034, our two entities would no longer be living beyond their means. And as you will have understood, our objective is not to increase the tax burden.“

Adrien Dolimont also announced that the first Walloon budget conclave will be held from November 15 (well, October, his office will correct later).The Walloon Parliament will then hold its budgetary work in the first week of December.“All the figures will then be communicated, dissected and commented on until we are no longer thirsty.

“I don’t see clearly at all”

Stéphane Hazée takes what there is to take from all this. Namely some clear pieces of information, such as the return to equilibrium in 7 years.But for the rest, I don’t see clearly the starting point of 2025, since there is a change between your figures of December and those announced in July. I don’t see clearly the distribution of the effort between the Federation and the Region, nothing on the staggering over time. And I don’t see clearly the budget tables”he continues in his reply.

With an onslaught of galvanizing information, “The government is rushing to finance its campaign (Editor’s note: for local elections), but it is the most total opacity on short-term elements that will impact people. The string is really very very big…” concludes the Ecolo.

Same reaction at the PTB: “What you are hiding from people is that the measures at the regional level will sometimes have dramatic consequences for the municipalities, for the people who have positive measures in mind. s“on which you communicate widely to improve your campaign. You are misleading the voters”summarizes Germain Mugemangango.

And here are the Pokémon again

Example already pointed out on Saturday by the PTB: jobs subsidized by the Region in the Communes: “Despite all its talk of getting people back to work, this government is going to reduce the employment subsidies that help the municipalities. Up to 20,000 jobs are thus threatened in the Walloon municipalities via the non-indexation of APE points. (Aid for promoting employment). These are childcare workers, nursing assistants, educators who will see their pay reduced or their jobs eliminated. However, they are essential workers in community life.“.

If the Commons are less supported, they will nonetheless be forced to produce a balanced budget.And for citizens, it will be fewer services and more taxes.“.

And since Minister-President Dolimont mentioned a Wallonia in Pokémon mode on Saturday during the official ceremony of the Wallonia Festival, the PTB deputy did not miss the opportunity to send him the reference: “Either you choose Pikachu who brings electricity and light, or it’s Smogo, a Pokémon filled with toxic fumes whose main attack is fog. You choose fog over light.“