Whats next? Is he going to put Mr. Reynders in the National Lottery? by choice of Georges

Politically correct or not. As every week, the sequence signed by Loïc Parmentier recounts what should not be missed in the political news. On the agenda, the controversial appointment of Axel Miller, former head of Dexia, to lead a state-owned company and Brussels managing to finalize its budget despite being an hour late.

The president of MR, Georges-Louis Bouchez, has chosen Axel Miller to head SFPIM, the structure that manages the Belgian state’s interests in major companies such as Belfius, bpost, Brussels Airlines, Ethias, or Proximus. A choice that immediately sparks opposition. Axel Miller is not unknown. Former head of Dexia and former chief of staff of Georges-Louis Bouchez, he attracts criticism for possible conflicts of interests and his leadership of the bank during the financial crisis.

Leader of the PTB group in the chamber, Sofie Merckx, jests: “Mr. Bouchez, we were supposed to be done with placing friends. He put his partner at the head of the ONE. Mr. Miller, not only was he at the helm of Dexia, but he was his chief of staff and he gave money to his football club. What’s next? Is he going to put Mr. Reynders at the National Lottery maybe?”. A dig at the former minister that even draws a smile from the Minister of Finance, Jan Jambon.

The memory of Dexia reignited

In 2008, in the midst of the financial crisis, the Belgian state was forced to inject billions to save Dexia. “If we hadn’t done it, it would have been bankruptcy,” noted Joëlle Milquet at the time.

Despite the bailout, Axel Miller was pushed to resign the next day. Seventeen years later, his return to the helm of a strategic tool of the state, particularly linked to Belfius – inheritor of Dexia – rekindles the criticisms. Faced with the controversy, Georges-Louis Bouchez firmly defends his choice: “I didn’t know Axel Miller was responsible for the global financial crisis. I appoint the people who I believe to be the most competent.”

A sparse hemicycle in Brussels

Another striking sequence of the week: the delay of the Brussels Parliament during a crucial budget debate on Friday. The session was supposed to start at 8:30 am, but the hemicycle was far from full. “I see that the hemicycle is barely filled,” notes Françoise De Smedt (PTB). Even the observation from Ecolo’s side, where Zakia Khattabi points out that “the majority […] is not in number.”

Faced with the absence of many deputies, the President of the Parliament, Bertin Mampaka, suggests an interruption: “I suggest that the interruption be for 30 minutes.” It took the arrival of the majority members to resume the debates with over an hour delay. The time change took place two days earlier in the capital it seems.