Why will municipalities gain or lose elected officials in 2024?
The number of municipal councilors and aldermen depends on the number of inhabitants as of January 1 of the year of the municipal elections. “More precisely, the number of inhabitants to be taken into consideration is the number of people registered in the National Register of natural persons having their main residence in the municipality concerned on the date of January 1 of the year of complete renewal of the municipal councils” , indicates the Union of Cities and Municipalities of Wallonia.
Between January 1, 2018 and January 1, 2024, 43 municipalities in Wallonia lost residents. This is particularly the case in Trooz. This Liège commune bordered by the Vesdre was hit hard by the floods of July 2021. 500 people left the commune at the time of this dramatic event and as of January 1, 2024, Trooz still had around a hundred fewer inhabitants than in 2018. , a reduction which, in this case, does not however impact the number of members of the municipal council (municipal college included).
How to explain it? The number of seats around the council table is based on categories: with each threshold of thousands of inhabitants crossed (up or down), the number fluctuates. Example, a municipality with between 9,000 and 11,999 inhabitants has 21 members on the municipal council (college included). This same entity would lose inhabitants and would only have 8,999 on January 1, 2024, the number of members of the municipal council would then increase to 19.
These additional aldermen and municipal councilors will take up their functions when the councils are set up in December 2024.
MAP & INFOGRAPHIC | These 10 municipalities in Wallonia which experienced the largest increase in population between 2018 and 2024
Which municipalities will gain aldermen?
9 Walloon municipalities will have an additional alderman:
- Arlon
- Ath
- Eupen
- Ferrières
- Houyet
- Erquelinnes
- La Bruyère
- Neupré
- Welkenraedt
Which municipalities will lose aldermen?
Two municipalities are concerned: Spa and La Calamine. Both lost an alderman.
Browse the map of Wallonia to find out the situation in your municipality:
Which municipalities will gain municipal councilors?
24 municipalities will have 2 fewer municipal councilors:
- Arlon (29 → 31)
- Assesse (17 → 19)
- Ath (29 → 31)
- Pool (19 → 21)
- Bastogne, including Bertogne (25 → 27)
- Bertrix (19 → 21)
- Boussu (25 → 27)
- Braine-l’Alleud (33 → 35)
- Chièvres (17 → 19)
- Eupen (25 → 27)
- Faimes (13 → 15)
- Ferrières (15 → 17)
- Frasnes-lez-Anvaing (21 → 23)
- Froidchapelle (13 → 15)
- Herstal (33 → 35)
- Houyet (15 → 17)
- Letter (17 → 19)
- Martelange (9 → 11)
- Oreye (13 → 15)
- Orp Manure (19 → 21)
- Saint-Georges-sur-Meuse (17 → 19)
- Sprimont (23 → 25)
- Wasseiges (11 → 13)
- Wavre (31 → 33)
Browse the map of Wallonia to find out the situation in your municipality
Clarification: for Bertogne, the sharp increase in the number of advisors is due to the merger with the municipality of Bastogne which will take place in December.
