The new political party founded by Olivier Maingain, the Mayor of Woluwe-Saint-Lambert and former leader of both the FDF and DéFI, will be called lib.res, which stands for 'libres et responsables' (free and responsible).
He announced the launch on Thursday in Brussels, with his son, Brussels MP Fabien Maingain, in attendance.
The presentation was attended by several members of his municipal council, including Delphine de Valkeneer and Eric Bott, along with Marc Cools, a former councillor in Uccle.
On 20 December 2024, Olivier Maingain announced his departure from DéFI.
Since then, he has received hundreds of messages stating that "this is what the people want, a party with a clear, coherent message", he explained.
Both his current and former party (FDF) are known for defending French-speakers' interests in and near the Brussels Region.
He told Le Soir in March that: "French-speakers are sliding into intellectual, political and economic dependence on Flanders. We must react."
