Election day in Aarschot seems to be more exciting than Gwendolyn Rutten suggested on Sunday morning. There is a duel with a Christian Democrat on the program, and a football match.
At 8.30 am Gwendolyn Rutten was ready at the Den Akker banquet hall in the rural district of Rillaar, where she lives just around the corner. It seemed like a relaxed mayor who would cast her vote, less tense than the Aarschot election battle seems to be.
With Nele Pelgrims, CD&V also has a strong woman and candidate mayor available, who included Rutten’s cornering work of recent years in her campaign. For a good understanding: from an outspoken aversion to national politics and the associated choice for Aarschot, Rutten opted for the Flemish government again, where she left early to reclaim her place as Aarschot’s mayor. Deputy Mayor Bert Van der Auwera stood there and looked at it.
Don’t be afraid
Gwendolyn Rutten and partner Jimmy after their vote in the local banquet hall.
But there was no hint of fear from Rutten, who addressed the press with a smile. “Now you can’t do much anymore and you have to let go,” she said in front of the VTM camera. The liberal leader of the city list of liberals and socialists explained to us how this letting go would happen in the afternoon: first at pistol eekesthen go home for a while, perhaps take a walk afterwards, and then meet up with ‘the group’ to receive results. “Only then does it start to get exciting,” says Rutten.
“I’m voting for her, yes,” Rutten’s partner accompanied her to the polling station. But he won’t be by her side all day: he is a witness at a polling station. Let’s just let go for Rutten himself. But not before she walked home tightly hugged with Jimmy, even away from the cameras at her own request.
