OVERVIEW. This is the ten-member Antwerp city council (Antwerp)

After leaders Bart De Wever and Kathleen Van Brempt proposed the new Antwerp administrative agreement of N-VA and Vooruit on Saturday, the local branches of both parties also approved that agreement on Sunday. Shortly afterwards, both parties also announced the names of who will sit in the new Antwerp city council: as the largest party, N-VA provides the mayor and six aldermen, while coalition partner Vooruit has to make do with three aldermen. (Read more below the photo)

N-VA

Bart De Wever will remain mayor for the time being, but that could change in the coming weeks if he brings the federal negotiations to a successful conclusion. Els Van Doesburgwho had the best score after De Wever and would normally succeed him if he became Prime Minister, will become alderman for Social Affairs, Health Care, Senior Care and City and Neighborhood Maintenance.

Nabilla Ait Daoud moves from Culture (which goes to the socialist Lien Van de Kelder) to Education. In the previous council, this was the responsibility of Jinnih Beels (Vooruit). Ait Daoud will also be responsible for Personnel, Childcare, Social Economy, Integration and Civic Integration. Koen Kennis retains Finance, Mobility, Tourism and Self-employed. He also includes Patrimonium.

Johan Claps remains Port Alderman, and is also responsible for the Economy. Ken Casier from Borsbeek, with which Antwerp merged, is the new alderman for Public Domain and Green, Innovation, Digitalization, Counters and Decentralization. Stijn De Rooster becomes alderman for Sports, Religious Services and Animal Welfare.

Of the seven N-VA members, only two are newcomers to the Antwerp city council: De Rooster and Casier. Peter Wouters, who is still responsible for sports in the current city council, among other things, previously announced that he would not remain an alderman.

Come on

Former Antwerp mayor Patrick Janssens returns to the city council, as alderman for Urban Development and Housing. The theme of Urban Development in particular receives a lot of attention in the new administrative agreement.

Actress Lien Van de Kelderwho achieved a strong score in October, will become Alderman for Culture, a responsibility that until now belonged to N-VA. Current ships Karim Bachar will be given the Environment and Youth powers. In the current city council, Bachar is alderman for Equal Opportunities, Integration and Civic Integration, Education, Youth and Community Development.

Current Vooruit councilor Tatjana Scheck will not return. “With Patrick, Lien and Karim, we are sending a particularly strong team to the council of aldermen,” says Kathleen Van Brempt. She was the party leader during the municipal elections, but as expected remains active at the European level and will therefore not become an alderman. “A team with very strong powers for the future of the city.”

This is what the new city council will look like:

• Bart De Wever: In addition to the mayor’s sash, De Wever will also have the powers of Safety, Administrative Affairs (including External Relations, Legal Affairs, Commemoration Policy and Street Naming), Marketing and Communication, Events, Heritage, Finance Inspectorate, Internal Audit and Funds.
• Nabilla Ait Daoud: Alderman for Education, Personnel, Childcare, Social Economy, and Integration and Civic Integration.
• Ken Casier: alderman for Public Domain and Green, Innovation, Digitalization, Desks and Decentralization.
• Stijn De Rooster: Alderman for Sports, Religious Services and Animal Welfare.
• Koen Kennis: Alderman for Finance, Mobility, Heritage (VESPA), Tourism and Self-employed.
• Johan Claps: ships of Port and Economy (including Industry, Markets and Foren, and Diamond).
• Els Van Doesburg: alderman for Social Affairs (BCSD), Healthcare (ZAS), Senior Care (ZBA) and City and Neighborhood Maintenance.

• Patrick Janssens: the former mayor of the city will now become alderman for Urban Development and Housing.
• Lien Van de Kelder: the former ‘Thuis’ actress will become Alderman for Culture and will also be given the powers for Work, Equal Opportunities and Development Cooperation.
• Karim Bachar: alderman for the Environment, Youth and (again) Community Development.