Bart Somers remains the largest in Mechelen, but he has to look for a coalition (Mechelen)

All sixty polling stations in Mechelen were counted around 5:30 p.m. The city list of Liberals, Greens and Independents still manages to appeal to about 37.8 percent of voters (19 seats). That is almost ten percent and six seats less than at the previous election in 2018 and therefore no longer an absolute majority.

Mechelen must therefore look for a coalition partner. N-VA with party leader Freya Perdaens emerged as the second largest faction with support from 19.7 percent of voters (9 seats). Her party wins two seats compared to six years ago. Vooruit is the third party with 12.3 percent of the votes and goes from three to five seats. Mathematically, a coalition with the Flemish nationalists (28 seats out of 43) and the socialists (24 seats out of 43) is therefore possible.

Vlaams Belang retains four seats (10.4 percent), CD&V remains stuck on three seats (8.7 percent) and PVDA goes from one to three seats (7.3 percent).

Bart Somers and Voor Mechelen lose an absolute majority, but remain the largest political faction in the city. “We remain the strongest party with a street length lead. We won 19 of the 43 seats, just short of an absolute majority, but we are very satisfied.”

Looking for coalition

No absolute majority, so Voor Mechelen must look for a coalition. “We are now going to talk to Vooruit, N-VA and CD&V. We want to hear how they see it and then decide who we can best work with,” Somers added.

Somers is less popular than six years ago. In 2018 he received more than 15,000 preferential votes, now only just under 7,000. “62 percent of Mechelen residents came to vote in Mechelen. Compared to the old system, that is still around 10,000. That is a huge amount and I am very grateful to the people of Mechelen for their confidence in me and my team.”

On Sunday morning we asked all party leaders for an initial response before or after their visit after the polls.

Bart Somers (For Mechelen): “Remain the largest political formation”

The district of Hombeek seemed to be the epicenter of Mechelen politics on Sunday. No fewer than four of the nine party leaders went to the village hall to cast their votes. Mayor Bart Somers (For Mechelen) went to the polling station together with his wife. “Hopefully it will be a beautiful day when many people come to vote. The most important thing is that everyone participates in democracy,” says Somers.

Today all eyes are on him, because in 2018 he achieved an absolute majority with his city list. “I don’t think we can achieve that today. That was a very unique situation at the time, but I certainly hope that we can still achieve a very good result. For me, the indicator is not an absolute majority, but remaining the largest political formation in the city so that we can keep Mechelen on course,” says Bart Somers.

Freya Perdaens (N-VA) is counting on “very positive results”

His biggest challenger, party leader Freya Perdaens of the largest opposition party N-VA, arrived at the polling station half an hour after him. “I expect a clear signal from the Malinois. One that we can get started with and with which we know what next steps we can take in Mechelen,” she says.

Perdaens hopes that her party can get more than seven seats, the number six years ago. “I hope the results match the reactions we received on the streets. I think this will be a very positive outcome,” he said.

Dries Devillé (Vlaams Belang): “It is important that as many people as possible vote”

“We expect a lot from these elections. We do not know how many people will come to vote, but it is important that as many people as possible vote for the right party. For me, that is Vlaams Belang,” says Dries Devillé, party leader of Vlaams Belang. He hopes to make gains with his party. “I don’t rely on polls.”

Thijs Verbeurgt (Vooruit): “We mainly want to take a step forward”

“I hope that many Mechelen residents will make their voices heard today. It is important that they make the choice today for the next six years. I hope that they choose an affordable, accessible and caring city and therefore also for Vooruit,” says Thijs Verbeurgt, leader of Vooruit.

The Socialists’ faction leader is counting on his party to make progress. “We have brought in a completely new team, with many enthusiastic people. Above all, we want to take a step forward. So that we can immediately start the new legislature with a strong team,” Verbeurgt explains.

Stefaan Deleus (CD&V): “Maybe we can help govern”

In Hombeek, CD&V party leader Stefaan Deleus also went to the polls. “It will be an exciting day. We expect some shifts in the political landscape in Mechelen and we think that the absolute majority will disappear. Maybe we can be part of the board that way,” he says.

He would like to win more seats with his party than the three in 2018. “A status quo would be unambitious. We expect at least one seat to be added and we are aiming for five,” says Deleus.

Dirk Tuypens (PVDA): “If we get three seats, we will be very happy”

“We have said from the start of the campaign that we are going for three seats in the Mechelen municipal council. I think this is actually there. We have had a very intense, but enjoyable campaign,” says Dirk Tuypens, party leader of PVDA.

The party’s target is therefore stronger representation in the municipal council. “If we can achieve the target of three seats, then we will be very pleased. If there are more, we will of course be much more enthusiastic.”

Bert Smits (Volksliga-2xRichting): “City list will suffer heavily”

The very first person to vote in Hombeek on Sunday morning was Bert Smits. He stood up for N-VA in 2018, but recently chose to sit as an independent together with two fellow party members. The three of them are now on the list of Volksliga-2xRichting. Smits heads the list.

“I expect major shifts in Mechelen. I think that the city list will suffer heavily and that we and other parties will achieve a good result,” he says. Bert Smits hopes to at least get back into the municipal council with his team. “I hope for two to three seats,” he says. There will also be reactions from the other party leaders.

Veerle Deknopper (Vista): “I hope we win a seat”

“It is an exciting day because we campaigned in a more alternative way,” says Veerle Deknopper, leader of Vista. She has already received a lot of messages from people who want to vote for her party. “I hope we win a seat,” she says.

Deknopper does have the impression that fewer people are going to vote. “I hope that the people who come to vote will definitely vote for us and cast a very conscious vote,” she says.

Arnaud Coel (Fix de Vesten): “It takes courage to vote for a one-man party”

Arnaud Coel is counting on voters today to lay the foundation for a sequel to Fix de Vesten. “There is a plan for that, seat or no seat. In any case, to convey the message that the people of Mechelen are not being heard enough today,” says Arnaud Coel of Fix de Vesten. He is the only candidate on that list. “It takes courage from voters to vote for a one-man party.”

How did Mechelen’s politicians score six years ago?

In the 2018 municipal elections, VLD-Groen-m+ achieved a historic election victory. The city list, led by incumbent mayor Bart Somers, achieved an absolute majority with the support of 47.7 percent of Mechelen voters. In the municipal council, this resulted in 25 of the 43 seats for the faction that was renamed Voor Mechelen a year ago.

With 15,735 preferential votes, the liberal Somers single-handedly managed to get more votes than any opposition party in his city. Six years ago, N-VA managed to appeal to 16.4 percent of voters, good for seven seats. Her party leader Freya Perdaens, then good for 2,984 preferential votes, was also the only one in recent weeks who very explicitly challenged the mayor in the battle for the sash.

All other opposition parties were stuck at less than ten percent in 2018: Vlaams Belang (9.6 percent) with four seats, sp.a (now Vooruit) and CD&V each gained three seats (9.2 percent) and PVDA one (4, 4 percent). Volksliga-2xRichting, then still VolksLiga, did not reach the electoral threshold in 2018. Vista and Fix de Vests appear for the first time.

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