© BELGIUM
Former Prime Minister Sophie Wilmès, the party leader for the MR for the European elections on June 9, said in an interview with Le Soir on Saturday that she does indeed intend to sit in the European Parliament, while she also works at Belgian level. fully” continues to commit.
“If I stand as a candidate for the European level, it is also to sit as a Member of Parliament. But it is true that I have always taken my responsibilities and that I do not know what will happen tomorrow. But I count on being in Parliament,” said the liberal politician.
Considerations
Wilmès resigned as Minister of Foreign Affairs in July 2022 to care for her sick husband, who has since died. Returning to politics on the European list was the result “of a mix of individual and collective considerations”.
“Collectively, because the decisions taken at European level are fundamental to the daily lives of Belgians. We live in a special era, with the rise of extremes. Europe is a social project and is more than the internal market. Europe has a soul. Europe is the protection of individual and fundamental rights, the rule of law. It is important to take positions in this context. That will also give me the opportunity to campaign with my Brussels colleagues and at Walloon level,” says Wilmès.
She also says she has always been interested in Europe. “I started my professional career at the European Commission. And my experience as Prime Minister during the corona crisis also plays a role, when I saw how the Member States turned back on themselves. I have seen the consequences of a lack of Europe. That left a strong impression and strengthened my conviction that Europe is fundamental and that it is worth defending the project.”