Willy Borsus was Pascal Vrebos’ guest this Sunday on RTL TVI. The Vice-President of Wallonia, Minister of the Economy, Research and Innovation, Digital and Agriculture was questioned in particular about the salaries of ministers. According to the elected representative of the MR, it is necessary to go further than the reduction of their remuneration, and to review the structure of Belgian institutions to save money.
Pascal Vrebos: Minister Gilkinet did not know his salary. Mathieu Michel had overvalued him. Minus 8% for politicians, is it symbolic?
Willy Borsus: No, I don’t think it’s symbolic. It was the Prime Minister who set the tone. We took the same decision at Walloon level concerning ministerial allowances. I think we have to go further, as our colleagues have mentioned. We really need to work on the structure of the state as well. There are too many functions, too many ministers, too many secretaries of state, too many institutions.
Pascal Vrebos: You are like Bart De Wever, who said “We need a lot fewer ministers”. We have to go much further, that’s what he said yesterday.
Willy Borsus: Many have indicated it, Mr. De Maegd (MP MR) on your set a few minutes ago. I think we really need to have this truth exercise. I go further, concerning the number of parliamentarians, the number of aldermen, municipal councillors… so as to lighten the structure of the State. This concerns not only elected officials at all levels of power. This concerns institutions, but also organizational charts in general.