A recent trip to Qatar by Mouvement Réformateur (MR) chairman Georges-Louis Bouchez caused a furore in the House on Thursday. As he is also a parliamentarian, the Socialist Party, PS, wanted to know who paid for the trip.
Accompanied by a close associate, councillor Jolan Vereecke, Bouchez travelled to Doha last month for the Sportico World Summit, to find investors for the football club he chairs, Francs Borains, Le Soir reported.
Questioned by the press on several occasions, Bouchez refused to say who had financed the trip, pointing out that it was a private matter.
Patrick Prévot (PS) questioned the Minister for Democratic Renewal, David Clarinval (MR), on the subject, calling for "transparency and ethics", and denouncing a "mixing of genres."
Bouchez "has confirmed the private nature of this trip on several occasions, and I have no further comment to make," Clarinval responded, listing a series of other trips abroad by PS legislators, notably to Qatar. These trips were paid for by a private company.
Clarinval said it was important "for every MP to be able to open up his or her horizons."
