“She will have to be accountable“. She’s Maggie De Block, Federal Minister Open VLD of Health. The one making this statement is David Leisterh, the president of the Brussels regional office of the MR. The remarks were made this week during a live Facebook with Tang Hicham, Hicham Marso of his real name. Tang Hicham is an influencer from Saint-Josse, which organizes every evening (or almost) on its page dialogues with politicians and associative actors from the 19 municipalities. Central theme: the coronavirus.
Last Tuesday, Tang Hicham (candidate on the MR list for the elections in 2012) notably hosted virtual alderman PS of Molenbeek Jamel Azaoum and David Leisterh, president of the Brussels MR since last February. Since taking office, this close friend of President Georges-Louis Bouchez likes to adopt a rather frank speech. This was again the case when he was asked about managing the coronavirus crisis by the Belgian authorities.
The flaws, the big mistakes
“At the level of the Minister of Health – we will not mention a name – I believe that there have been a lot of flaws“, launches Tang Hicham, Dutch-speaking Brussels, calling David Leisterh, by phone. “There were big mistakes that shouldn’t have happened. We are talking about a huge crisis, not a simple flu as it has been said in the newspapers.“
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David Leisterh responds and develops (to listen above around 1 h 25 minutes): “I don’t want to be the one now, when she (Maggie De Block) is on the front line – she has to constantly look for masks, look for a whole series of tools for hospitals, find solutions to left and right. I don’t want to be the one to shoot one of the captains“in this federal majority composed of the MR, the Open VLD and the CD&V.
Why ? “Because I don’t think it would help him. And that if it doesn’t help her, it will help the cause even less, which wants us to fight as much as possible“, against coronavirus.
David Leisterh then wishes to recall an element of linguistic order. “We’re talking about Maggie De Block here, we’re going to put a name on people. Maggie De Block is originally a Flemish. So she speaks Flemish. And I wish I could speak Flemish as well as she speaks French. And it is true that sometimes, when it is expressed in French, there is sometimes a little tendency to denote a little nonchalance, a little bit of hindsight or a lack of dynamism … […] It is because she does what she can in French. His French is not perfect. ” For David Leisterh, this is “thing to keep in mind“.
Communications that went wrong
However, “for sure“, continues the president of the Brussels liberals,”that there have been a whole series of expressions that she has had, communications that she has had that have gone wrong“. This week, as a reminder, a complaint has been filed by the College of Physicians against the Minister.
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The live continues. The one who is also a Brussels MP and president of the CPAS of Watermael-Boitsfort continues. “The impression one gets when taking up positions is not always the same in Flanders as in Wallonia or Brussels. You read the Flemish newspapers: it is true that now it is strongly criticized but for a long time it was not the case, whereas it was already the case with us, it must be recognized. It is true that this is one of a whole series of problems which have arisen and which will be investigated at the end of this crisis. And she will indeed be accountable.“
Investigative committee
Contacted this Sunday by the RTBF, David Leisterh fully accepts the remarks made on the Internet about a minister from a training partner of the MR in the Federal government.
He said a commission of inquiry should shed light on the coronavirus crisis. “I subscribe to what Georges-Louis Bouchez has already said in reality: there will be a commission and everyone will have to explain and account. Also, the same will apply in the federated entities. We have eight health ministers, we need to understand everywhere what has happened and what can be remembered, abandoned or improved.“
Masks and the international context
In the live, David Leisterh also returns to the saga of masks, with orders rejected by the Belgian authorities after being declared non-compliant. “It’s good Maggie De Block” who is behind the orders. But, specifies the Brussels resident, “you have to understand how it happens in the world“with orders for masks in China, the country where the epidemic started.”The paradox“says David Leisterh.
And when the masks are ordered, “the Americans are coming! This is how it happens“Americans who”buy your order (of masks) four times the price“see”buy the factory“who makes them.”You can imagine the competition currently at international level“. And there was”failures, it’s true“from Belgium who fished, implies David Leisterh, for lack of anticipation.
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