October 2018. Axel Tixhon (CDH, now Les Engagés) pulled off a masterstroke to take the mayorship of Dinant from Richard Fournaux, who had succeeded 24 years earlier from… Antoine Tixhon, father of Axel.
He took advantage, initially, of the breakup of liberal forces. The enmities between Richard Fournaux, Robert Closset and Thierry Bodlet, three popular personalities with long teeth, blew up the local MR. In the 2018 municipal elections, Richard Fournaux is taking his “Mayor’s List”. Robert Closset, outgoing alderman, a list called “Dinant”. And Thierry Bodlet, former alderman, makes a pact with Axel Tixhon and joins his “ID!” list.
In 2018, Axel Tixhon united with other political forces in Dinant to send Richard Fournaux back into opposition.
On election night, the lists of Richard Fournaux and Axel Tixhon are tied. Nine seats each on the municipal council. But, subsequently, the centrist managed to unite the other political forces in Dinant – the socialists and the troops of Robert Closset – to conquer the town hall and send Richard Fournaux back into opposition. He succeeds in his bet and becomes mayor. Thierry Bodlet and Robert Closset will be aldermen.
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The harshness of local politics, the Covid years, the violence of social networks, however, got the better of Axel Tixhon. Exhausted, physically weakened, he announced in August 2021 that he was resigning from his post as mayor. His running mate Thierry Bodlet succeeds him. It’s the beginning of the end…
From the month of October, the socialists slammed the door of the majority, criticizing the way in which the new mayor presided over the destiny of the city. The majority only wants one seat, but is in reality very unstable due to the presence of recalcitrant municipal councilors in its ranks.
The final blow comes in November 2023. Between the two former enemy brothers of the MR, the mayor Thierry Bodlet and his first alderman Robert Closset, the break is complete against a backdrop of differences over the parking plan in Dinant. The two men will cohabit for whatever reason until the end of the legislature.
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Bodlet dismissed, Closset forgotten
Richard Fournaux, for his part, is discreet in Dinant, patiently biding his time, cozy in the province of Namur, where he was appointed deputy at the end of 2018. In April 2024, he announced his return. He is a mayoral candidate at the head of a list called “Ambition”. Considering the last six years, he can easily put forward the argument of stability to the people of Dinant and forget the legal problems which had weakened him in the past.
The only credible rival: the “Dinamic” list (ex-ID!), of the Engagés tendency, led by Omer Laloux. The mayorship should be played between the two men.
Thierry Bodlet, for his part, was asked by Les Engagés to look elsewhere. He launched his own list, “Avenir”. If Richard Fournaux does not obtain an absolute majority on the evening of the elections of October 13, Mr. Bodlet could find himself in the position of arbiter between the two main forces in the city, in the same way as the socialists of “Pour vous”.
Finally, for Robert Closset, politics is over. He hoped to be on Richard Fournaux’s list, but the latter didn’t even bother to call him.
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