Mechelen
In Mechelen reigns Bart Somers, former “best mayor in the world”. The liberal wishes to continue for a fifth (!) mandate.
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Thinking
In Ghent, the Open VLD Mathias De Clercq this time joined forces with the socialists, in the hope of retaining his mayoral sash. Their joint list, “Voor Gent”, has other strengths, such as the socialists Freya Van den Bossche and Astrid De Bruycker. But nothing is certain for the liberal, whose great rival remains Filip Watteuw, head of the Groen list and sometimes accused of being, in the shadows, the true leader of the city. Currently alderman for Mobility and Public Space, he divides and unleashes passions, while mobility (parking spaces, pedestrian zone, low emissions zone, etc.) is one of the major issues of the election with the accommodation.
Elsewhere in East Flanders
In East Flanders too, there is the suspense specific to Ninove, town of Guy D’haeseleer. Does this figure from Vlaams Belang have a real chance of reaching an absolute majority, with his “Forza Ninove”? Liberal mayor Tania De Jonge brought together a large list, with independents and Christian democrats, under the name “Positief Ninove”, to counter the ambitions of the far right.
Louvain
Louvain, a university town par excellence, has been in the hands of the socialists since Louis Tobback in 1995. The question that arises here is: will Mohamed Ridouani (Vooruit), who in all likelihood will remain mayor, choose to build his coalition with Groen , like the one currently in place (also with the CD&V), or will he turn to the N-VA, in the same vein as the Flemish government? Mohamed Ridouani in any case seems to have all the cards in hand, and his majority has not wavered on any issue in recent years. An extension would therefore be the most logical, but Groen could well lose weight, which would put his position in the majority in danger. CD&V is in the same situation, which could lose precious percentage points. According to some, an alliance with the N-VA as at the regional level could also be useful in advancing important construction projects.
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Vilvorde
In Vilvoorde, mayor Hans Bonte (Vooruit) is seeking a third term. But the socialist might no longer have control. On the one hand, Groen, in a cartel with Vooruit in 2018, presents its own list. On the other hand, the two other partners of the outgoing majority, the Open VLD and the CD&V, appear together before the voter, with the firm intention of winning.
On the left, Vooruit will also have to face competition from the PTB, which came first in the commune in the federal and regional elections on June 9 with 21% of the votes. The presence of a Team Fouad Ahidar roster adds an additional unknown to the equation.
On the other side of the political spectrum, the N-VA intends to return to the majority. In the absence of a Vlaams Belang list, the behavior of its voters will be carefully scrutinized. The far right won 13% of the vote in June. Finally, there will be no UF list (Union of Francophones) in this municipality without facilities on the outskirts of Brussels, but rather an MR list drawn up by… the two outgoing UF municipal councilors.
Hasselt
In Hasselt, capital of Limburg, an N-VA has been at the helm since the previous elections: Steven Vandeput, former federal minister of Defense. A small revolution in itself, because since the end of the Second World War the city was systematically led by a Christian Democrat or a Socialist. For more than two decades, from 1995 to 2016, the sp.a (now Vooruit) was essential here.
The challenge for Steven Vandeput is clear: to keep the mayoral sash, thanks to the very early announcement (from January) of an N-VA – Open VLD cartel which intends to remain in power, the nationalist party weighing in on this team. much heavier (12 seats on the municipal council) than the liberals (4). Currently, these two parties are in coalition with “RoodGroen+”, a mixture of socialists, ecologists and independents (11 seats) which however broke up during the summer, the Greens accusing the socialists of having discreetly negotiated with the N-VA . Former NATO Secretary General Willy Claes will try to “reboost” the socialists by pushing the Vooruit list of Tine Jans, a young thirty-year-old who failed to be elected to the Chamber in June. But the latest polls also predict a breakthrough for Vlaams Belang, which currently occupies 3 seats.
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Genk
The former mining town will be the scene of a renewed duel on October 13, between the Flemish minister and N-VA heavyweight, Zuhal Demir, and the incumbent mayor, CD&V Wim Dries. The latter has held the mayoral sash since 2009 (currently with the support of the socialists), and all his predecessors since the Second World War were Christian Democrats.
Wim Dries, a pure local product who spent his entire political career at this level, remains very popular. But as in many other municipalities in Limburg, the Christian Democrats are seeing their historical bases eroded by parties further to the right of the political spectrum: in June, they retreated while the N-VA held its ground and Vlaams Belang was taking a good step forward. And at the other end of the spectrum, the PTB has made a real leap. The extreme right and left may well have to battle for third place in the city, with the experienced Chris Janssens (VB), a vocal machine, on the one hand, and the ex-Ford worker Gaby Colebunders on the other. (PTB). Vooruit and Groen are presenting themselves with a common list, and the liberals, in a state of clinical death in Genk, are not presenting themselves at all.
Used
The current mayor of Bruges Dirk De fauw, CD&V, seems well on his way to office again. The CD&V – Vooruit – Open VLD coalition has gone through the last six years without real disputes, and the polls reward it, giving the outgoing mayor the favorite. The only downside was a disagreement within the majority over the merger of two hospitals in the city, a matter which remains open. The Open VLD has Mercedes Van Volcem at the top of the list, Vooruit Pablo Annys, and the N-VA Maaike De Vreese. Vlaams Belang is banking on a sure bet, Stefaan Sintobin.
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Ostend
Who says Ostend, says Bart Tommelein. 6 years ago, the liberal achieved a tour de force in the coastal city, driving the socialists out of power with an Open VLD – Groen – CD&V – N-VA coalition. But facing him, Vooruit has a certain John Crombez, and the socialists are doing well in the polls.
Bart Tommelein presents himself to the voter in the Open VLD – Groen – CD&V cartel, under the slogan “Proud of Ostend”. The majority in place experienced first years without storms, but this was less obvious during the last months, in particular with the establishment of a 30 zone in the city center, which is not unanimous. John Crombez promises, in some places, to cancel it. The delicate issue of the renovation of the Thermae Palace has also created a stir.
Kortrijk
Kortrijk, city where the Lys flows, very close to France, is also the city of Vincent Van Quickenborne (Open VLD), turbulent former federal minister of Justice whose star seems to have faded. “Quickie” is no longer really popular. It was Ruth Vandenberghe, who held her position during her ministerial mandate, who was therefore placed at the top of the list, that of the “Team Burgemeester Stadslijst Kortrijk” which brings together both liberals and Christian Democrats. Kortrijk is a “rock ‘n’ roll” city, assures us this list, which had fun “recreating” 19 iconic visuals from vinyl covers to showcase its 41 candidates.
