Ecolo members approve new co-chairs Leroy and Vanden Burre

Members of Belgium’s French-speaking Green party Ecolo have elected Marie-Colline Leroy and Gilles Vanden Burre as the party’s new co-chairs.

More than 600 members gathered at the party’s general assembly in Louvain-la-Neuve on Sunday. The duo received strong support, with 584 votes in favour, 12 against and 18 abstentions.

Leroy, a former secretary of state for gender equality and equal opportunities, and Vanden Burre, the former Ecolo group leader in the federal parliament, now face the task of rebuilding the party’s influence. The Greens have struggled to make their message heard amid debates about public spending, economic competitiveness, conflicts and energy security.

The leadership change follows a period of instability. Previous co-chairs Marie Lecocq and Samuel Cogolati stepped down in November after disagreements over policy. Since then, the party has been run by a temporary collective leadership.

Leroy and Vanden Burre had already run for the position in July 2024 after Ecolo’s heavy election losses, but members at that time chose Lecocq and Cogolati instead.

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The new leadership team presents itself as complementary. Leroy, from Hainaut, previously worked in education and was elected to parliament in 2019 before joining the federal government in 2023. Vanden Burre, a Brussels-based management engineer, has a background in business and previously worked in the private sector before entering parliament in 2015.

Both lost their seats in the 2024 elections, when Ecolo suffered major losses and moved into opposition at most political levels.

The pair say they want to broaden the party’s appeal, reaching not only traditional left-wing voters but also entrepreneurs, business leaders and the middle class. Vanden Burre has said the party will remain rooted in left-wing values while speaking more directly to the economic world.

Their leadership comes at a difficult time for Belgium’s Green parties. Ecolo and its Flemish counterpart Groen both saw their support fall to around 7 per cent in recent polls, raising concerns about the parties’ future direction.

^{New co-chairmen Marie-Colline Leroy and Gilles Vanden Burre © BELGA PHOTO BENOIT DOPPAGNE}