Elections 2024: A return in Antwerp, a farewell in Charleroi and a busy weekend
Local elections will take place at municipal and provincial level in Belgium on Sunday 13 October. In the run-up to the vote, Belga English explores the main issues to watch out for and provides a daily overview of events.
Paul Magnette will not continue as major of Charleroi. Thomas Dermine, currently a junior minister in the federal government, heads the list for socialists PS, with Magnette in third place. Magnette will concentrate his efforts on the federal level, where PS is likely to find itself in opposition. Earlier this week, Magnette criticised the plans of the five parties that are trying to form a federal government.
In Antwerp, socialist Patrick Janssens is making a surprise comeback. He was mayor from 2003 to 2012, when he lost the elections to present mayor Bart De Wever of N-VA. He left politics but is now fourth on the list for Vooruit. He intends to contribute to the future of the city, having recently worked on a PhD on urban development.
This weekend, several parties in several cities will present their list for the municipal elections. On Sunday, francophone liberals MR and far-right Vlaams Belang will each hold family days. In Flanders, these coincide with the Gordel around Brussels and the Yser pilgrimage in West Flanders, two important meetings for Flemish nationalists. This illustrates the divide between the Flemish nationalists from Vlaams Belang and those from N-VA.
#FlandersNewsService | Paul Magnette © BELGA PHOTO ERIC LALMAND
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