Who paid for MR leader Georges-Louis Bouchez's recent trip to the 'Sportico World Summit' in Qatar last month? In light of recent accusations surrounding the party, questions were raised about Bouchez's sponsors in the Belgian Parliament on Thursday.
In search of investors for "his" lower league Belgian football team Francs Borains, Bouchez and one of his close associates, MR councillor in Chimay Jolan Vereecke, went to the Sportico World Summit in Doha on 20 and 21 November. French-speaking media repeatedly asked Bouchez who financed the trip, with the Francophone Socialist Party (PS) also raising the issue in the federal Chamber of Representatives.
Bouchez replied by saying that the trip was not paid for by "taxpayers' money," but he also refused to elaborate, claiming it was a private trip. However, PS, who are currently under fire for the CPAS Anderlecht fraud allegations, disagree. They say that while Bouchez himself may have been in Doha as chair of a football club, he did take an MR staff member with him. Additionally, the socialists pointed out that Bouchez himself said the fact that he is a party leader and MP has opened doors.
In the Chamber on Thursday, MR's outgoing Deputy Prime Minister David Clarinval repeated that it was a private trip, and that Bouchez was invited as chair of his football club. "He got the chance to speak with Barack Obama, Boris Johnson and Tony Blair. The sort of people you'd want to speak with."
MR leader Georges-Louis Bouchez. Credit: Belga/Virginie Lefour
Following the Qatargate scandal in the European Parliament in 2023, the Federal Deontological Commission (which is attached to the Chamber and delivers non-binding opinions on deontological issues) stated that the line between official travel on behalf of parliament and private travel by MPs is sometimes "very fine."
They added that the risk of conflicts of interest is "not small, especially in the case of individual travel where the costs are borne by the inviting party."
To avoid this, MPs are advised to check carefully exactly what the programme and purposes of the trip are beforehand. Afterwards, they should "ensure sufficient transparency during deliberations in the Chamber where 'privileged contacts' from during the trip could influence or suggest a decision."
Bouchez himself – usually quick to speak his mind in the press or on social media – has not made a statement in response to the questions in the Chamber on Thursday.
Strategy of silence
French-speaking media have pointed out that Bouchez and his party are using a similar (and uncharacteristic) strategy of silence regarding the accusations of money laundering via the National Lottery against Belgian liberal heavyweight and European Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders.
More than a week after the news broke, Bouchez gave a short statement on French-speaking radio. "As MR leader, it does not concern me. Didier Reynders no longer exercises a mandate for the party." He did add that he was personally upset by the situation. Bouchez worked as Reynders' advisor when the latter was a minister in both 2009 and 2011.
The fact that Reynders allegedly used a betting company for money laundering purposes is striking, as links between MR and Bouchez on the one hand and the boards of certain gambling companies on the other have previously been demonstrated.
MR's Didier Reynders pictured during the 39th award ceremony for the Manager of the Year, Wednesday 10 January 2024 in Brussels. Credit: Belga
In March 2024, the Dutch-language newspaper Humo reported that several MPs sitting in the Federal Parliament had voiced concerns about Bouchez's ties to powerful gambling lobbies, which have been subjected to more stringent regulation since 2022. Bouchez reportedly guided party policy to significantly favour these lobbies.
As a result, the advertising ban for the gambling sector does not apply to amateur sports clubs. This includes Francs Borains, of which he is the chair, who are sponsored by online betting company Ladbrokes. Outside his political career, Bouchez is also a rally driver and is sponsored by the same company.
In addition, former MP Damien Thiéry now lobbies for the Belgian Association of Gaming Operators (BAGO), which represents six of Belgium's largest betting companies: Betfirst, Napoleon, Starcasino, Golden Palace, Ardent and Kindred. Together, these companies make up 70% of the market.
