“It’s very important to me that all this ‘Mischo-bashing’ should stop. I’ve been getting grief for the last year and a half from all sides, and I’ve had enough”, Georges Mischo announced in the studio on Thursday morning.
Mischo stepped down as labour and sports minister well over a month ago, and is set to return to the Chamber as a CSV MP next week. He says he is looking forward, and one should always get up again after a fall.
Much of his political turmoil over the past few months was “over the top”, he said. One example is the letter written by the trade unions, describing Mischo as being unfit for his role. This was “cowardly, infected and undignified”, he said, claiming the letter contained accusations which were blatantly untrue. He also found it pitiful that neither the OGBL nor LCGB union chose to make these claims to his face.
Did Mischo make mistakes as a minister? Everyone makes mistakes, he countered, although he admitted he perhaps trusted an official for too long. He said he should have dealt more carefully with the unions. The coalition agreement clearly stated the government’s plans, but both he and the government gave in to too many demands, thus strengthening the unions. The negotiations had often been “very blocked” by the unions, he said. The coalition agreement foresaw labour laws becoming fairer and more modern. But little has been introduced so far, with the exception of Sunday work and opening hours.
As for the much-discussed sports museum project, which Mischo abruptly scrapped in early December, the former minister responded defensively. Although the whole project was “unlucky”, he said neither he nor the sports ministry had made procedural errors. He said he had found it surprising how suddenly there were 680,000 experts in government procurement at the start of December, with everyone claiming to know better. If the matter had been so clear, he continued, then the government would not have needed to request a legal opinion on the project.
Next Tuesday, Mischo will once again be sworn in as an MP for the CSV. Although he has no plans to join the sports or labour committees, he says he will continue to keep an eye on those topics. Rather sarcastically, he commented that the percentage of collective agreements is sure to go through the roof now “without that dreadful Mischo” at the helm. After 40 years of the coverage rate attaining 54–54%, he said he was intrigued to see if it rises to 70–80% and unions leaders Patrick Dury and Nora Back would celebrate. But this is unlikely to be the case, he added.
Mischo also intends to keep an eye on the Liberty Steel case. Here he reserved criticism for the unions, claiming they put pressure on him to send the last seven employees into early retirement. They demanded he act against the law, and his colleagues advised him not to do so. As a result he was again subjected to criticism for his handling of this matter.
Mischo said he could look at himself in the mirror every morning with a clear conscience. “I didn’t purposely do anything wrong in all my time as a politician”, he said, adding that he had shared this with his children.
Invité vun der Redaktioun: Georges Mischo
