Jean-Claude Van Cauwenberghe was acquitted. But there were therefore, according to him, dysfunctions. And the socialist to make his mea culpa: “I recognize a moral responsibility. A political responsibility. I was probably not attentive enough. I was the boss. We experienced an abnormal situation”. And Van Cau to clear himself: he was in Namur (at the head of the government) when the business broke out. “Nevertheless, I was the political boss. And that’s why I assumed things and resigned” he justifies.
Van Cau was a must in the largest Hainaut city at that time. Sometimes referred to as“emperor”he does not deny a certain… authority.
I probably didn’t pay enough attention.
“To run a big city you have to show authority […] otherwise we can’t do anything. I assume the fact of having been an authoritarian leader of the City “. And to redo a mea culpa. “We were excessive. We did not open up enough”. O tempora, o mores. The former mayor says that if it had to be done again, he would act differently. And this put back in the spirit of twenty years ago “When you get 65% you think you have voter backing and the illusion that you are being given absolute power.” And the one who readily admits having been an “authoritarian leader” to tackle the current president of the PS but also mayor of Charleroi Paul Magnette. According to Van Cau, he would have “exactly the same authoritarian behavior as me, except that I recognize him and he, he is… turning into a democrat”. A power much more assumed (sometimes “with excess”) in the memory of Van Cau.