1. The Flemish party presidents are unanimous against Vlaams Belang, but not against the PTB
Gathered during a major debate ahead of the October 13 vote, the Flemish party presidents were categorical: Vlaams Belang is no. From left to right, they all closed the door to municipal coalitions including the formation of Tom Van Grieken. Who obviously did not fail to take out the violins. “We are excluding a million Flemish people a priori,” said the far-right leader on VTM. “The real loser is the right-wing Flemish who wants a different policy.”
On the other hand, the party presidents were more divided on the case of the extreme left. Two political groups, Vooruit and Groen, simply refused to oppose an alliance with the PTB/PVDA at the municipal level. For the socialists, their reaction is logical since they are already collaborating with Raoul Hedebouw’s party in Zelzate, one of the only localities where the extreme left is in power (with Borgerhout). “It would therefore be very awkward for me to pronounce myself differently now,” said Conner Rousseau.
On the Green side, we also used this argument and we justified ourselves as best we could on this difference in treatment granted to the far-left party. “One party was condemned for racism, the other was not, that’s what makes the difference for us,” explained Nadia Naji (Groen).
2. The far-right party has not said its last word
Close the door to Vlaams Belang, he will enter through the window. To succeed in entering a municipal majority, the far-right party has perhaps found the solution. As our colleagues from the DH revealed this week, citizen lists on the outskirts of Brussels welcome candidates close to Tom Van Grieken’s political party, but who no longer officially adhere to it.
This is particularly the case in Overijse. The links with the far-right party are not immediately obvious, but you only need to dig a little into the history of the politicians running there to find it. To the point that in the municipality of Flemish Brabant, almost everyone agreed that no collaboration would take place with the said list, namely Leefbaar Overijse. The N-VA mayor remains more open. She wants to leave it to the residents of the town to choose. But his majority partners take a dim view of him.
In Grimbergen, we observe the same phenomenon. But it’s not new. In 2018, Bart Laeremans – who had left the far-right party three years earlier to concentrate on his municipality – triumphed in the municipal elections via his Vernieuwing list. Although the man is no longer a member of Vlaams Belang, he has nonetheless retained its ideas and struggles. But his new, more popular appearance still allowed him to move into the majority with the help of the Open VLD and the N-VA. With, at her side, another candidate from Vlaams Belang. In 2022, he even won the mayoral sash of Grimbergen. And receives congratulations from… Tom Van Grieken, the president of Vlaams Belang.
La Libre meets the voters of Vlaams Belang
3. Bouchez opens the door to the PS in Mons… but the socialists close it just as quickly
Martin VS Bouchez. This is undoubtedly one of the most anticipated fights of this election. But the liberals and socialists did not wait for the municipal elections on October 13 to launch hostilities. Throughout the legislature, they never stopped insulting each other. Whether during municipal councils or on television sets.
Suffice it to say that relations between the mayor of Mons and the president of the MR are rather frosty. However, the liberal affirmed on La Première not to rule out a possible coalition with his rival. “I have no exclusivity with regard to a democratic party, so I can very well form a coalition with the PS“, indicated Mr. Bouchez. “But my goal is to be able to change the way in which Mons politics is conducted. So it will be necessary to make important reforms in the management of the city.“
The exit of the president of the MR immediately caused the socialist to react, who closed the door in his face. “The people of Mont have the choice between two radically different and incompatible projects. Georges-Louis Bouchez and I do not have the same vision for the future of Mons. I refuse to ally myself with someone who, for years, has worked to demolish the image of our city throughout the country and who wants to wipe out six years of hard work to revitalize the city“, he replied. And it is not only the liberal program for the Mons locality that disturbs Nicolas Martin, but also simply the attitude of Georges-Louis Bouchez whom he described as “aggressive, contemptuous and divisive”.
4. Fouad Ahidar’s controversial campaign methods
If there is one list that is at the center of attention in this campaign, it is that of Fouad Ahidar. The young party, which enjoyed great success during the previous election, remains a political UFO which challenges and worries. Above all because of the controversial positions of its leader who does not hesitate to question the separation between the State and religion.
But, recently, it is also his campaign methods that have been singled out. La Libre released this week a major investigation into the messages sent on Whatsapp by the candidates of Team Fouad Ahidar. The new political formation lends itself to a real underground campaign. And if she is not the only one to use it, the list drawn up by Fouad Ahidar demonstrated that she excelled in the matter (the entire survey can be read here).
Fouad Ahidar: “Show me a mosque where I campaigned, and I resign tomorrow”
A video of the Brussels trainer has also circulated widely on social networks in recent days. In these images, we see Fouad Ahidar chatting in Arabic as he tries to convince the people of Antwerp to vote for his troops. Questioned on the subject by Het Nieuwsblad, the main person concerned regretted the controversy surrounding this sequence. “We speak all the languages that people understand. Dutch, French, Berber, Arabic… We are there for everyone,” he said. “We are constantly called the party of migrants, but that is absolutely not the case. (…) I spoke briefly in Arabic with someone, barely half a minute. Filip Dewinter (Vlaams Belang ) immediately posted a video of this on Facebook Yet that day I spoke so many languages, and mainly Dutch But no one shows it.
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