Rapid ascent
Unexpected election to the Walloon Parliaments and the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, then designation as group leader less than two years later, the rise was rapid for the young elected official, formerly of the Christian Mutualities. “This designation was a surprise. The short time in politics forced me to make my decision to accept very quickly. My first contacts were with my president and with Mathilde Vandorpe.”
Loïc Jacob will now have the heavy task of coordinating a political group that is a member of the majority (MR-Les Engagés) in which all the elected officials are not necessarily in phase with the government agreement. Mathilde Vandorpe who occupied the place until then is one of them. “I will not comment on the comments made by Mathilde, all I will say is proof that democracy lives well here.”
The man knows that, after the honeymoon, the differences between the parties of the same coalition reappear. What does it matter, “the framework is clear, the MR is our partner and the point of balance is the community policy declaration. The first contacts with the MR are also excellent”.
His line of conduct is as follows: “It’s about ensuring that we are transparent and trusting. If we start blaming ourselves and going out in the media, we won’t succeed.”
The MR-Les Engagés majority comes to the aid of Minister Galant: “She breaks trust with Parliament”
“Do it right”
The reform of the status of teachers comes into the debates. It is a file carried by a minister MR, Valérie Glatigny, and about which some Engaged people remain worried. “The Community Policy Declaration is clear : we want to stabilize the status of teachers at the start of their careers. And looking for solutions with old recipes cannot work. The solutions proposed here are innovative. But it is obvious that if, at some point, we realize that it is unaffordable, we will not do it.”
The Engagés deputy also mentions echoes which reach him from the teaching world. “What comes down to us is that the reforms are coming one after the other and we have to take the time to do things correctly.”
In budgetary matters, Loïc Jacob arrives at the head of the Engaged group after the budgetary storm of last year when the government had to announce drastic savings. He hopes that the decisions taken “will make it possible to no longer have to make major financial decisions between now and the end of the legislature.”.
Although designated group leader at the Federation, Loïc Jacob promises to continue to get involved in the Walloon Parliament where he monitors issues of Agriculture, Rurality and the Environment.
