2023-10-27 13:13:00
In Colfontaine, the understanding between mayor Lucien D’Antonio (PS) and Lionel Pistone (C.Plus) has never been good, on the contrary. If in democracy, it is healthy that ideas can be opposed and ideas expressed, it is on the other hand worrying to note that an elected official does not hesitate to verbally threaten a representative for the simple reason that the latter has exercised his right to the arrest.
In a public session, when the agenda was exhausted and topical oral questions could be asked by the municipal councilors, Lucien D’Antonio took the floor in order to directly question Lionel Pistone. “He literally told me “Mr. Pistone, I already knew that you were vicious, but at this point…” He was in fact referring to the questioning of the Minister of Education Caroline Désir (PS) by François Desquesnes (Les Engagés) following a problem that I had raised.”
Namely the awarding of a “Lucien D’Antonio prize” during CEB while all political propaganda is prohibited within educational establishments. “He obviously took it very badly. Which surprised me a little because it is everyone’s right to question a minister on a specific subject. For my part, I am waiting for the conclusions of the education commission and I am moving on. There was, in my opinion, no reason to return to the subject, even less in full municipal council.”
A complaint filed with the police
But the mayor obviously did not hear it that way. “He went on to tell me, “Mr. Pistone, when I drop my cartridge, I don’t know if you’re going to get up.” I asked if it was a threat. He replied no but repeated his remarks in front of around fifty people. He didn’t say “if I let go” but “when I let go.” Is this a physical threat? A threat against my property? I don’t know, but it’s certainly intimidation.”
There is no question for the municipal councilor to let this happen. This Thursday morning, he filed a complaint with the police. “I’ve had flat tires before, I know what some people are capable of. I asked that the police be able to patrol my home more regularly. More generally, these comments are likely to bring discredit on my person: if he has a file on me, if he considers he is aware of something reprehensible, he should act and report it to the competent authorities. But to suggest that he has something on me is to sow doubt in people’s minds.”
Other inappropriate comments would have been made behind closed doors towards the municipal councilor, described as a “looser” on two occasions by the mayor. “As a precautionary principle, I filed a complaint with the police but I insist: I absolutely do not regret having shed light on the mayor’s practices via a ministerial question. I am convinced that this is, on the part of the mayor, a strategy to disgust us with politics, to dissuade candidates from joining us in view of the next elections in order to have as weak an opposition as possible.”
And the advisor continues: “If he hopes to make me leave, it’s a failure. On the contrary, it reinforces my desire to invest in the community, so that things can finally change.” It will be emphasized that in Belgium and more generally in democracy, municipal councilors have, among other things, the mission of controlling the actions of the mayor and aldermen and that as such, they have freedom of speech and a right to ‘initiative. Accomplishments that the current mayor of Colfontaine seems perhaps to want to call into question.
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