Eva De Bleeker elected leader of Flemish liberal party Open VLD

Former federal state secretary Eva De Bleeker has been elected as the new party leader of Flemish liberal party Open VLD, her predecessor Tom Ongena announced on Saturday at the party's headquarters in Brussels.

After the resignation of Ongena, due to Open VLD’s poor results in June’s elections, elections for a new party leader were organised. De Bleeker won the first round last week. She received 56 per cent of the votes in the second round. The other remaining candidate, Vincent Verbeecke, got 44 per cent of the votes.

“A new liberal era has begun,” De Bleeker said in her victory speech. “We must now put all misunderstandings behind us." She called for a powerful liberal narrative, with robust proposals for consumers and proposals that provide clear guidance to people.

For De Bleeker, the upcoming municipal elections are crucial for the party and its local roots. “On 13 October, we are all going to score again,” she said.

De Bleeker is a Flemish MP and was federal state secretary for budget and consumer protection in the previous legislature, until she had to resign in 2022 after an error was discovered in the 2023 budget.

^{#FlandersNewsService | Eva De Bleeker at the announcement of the party leadership elections in Brussels, 24 August 2024 © BELGA PHOTO NICOLAS MAETERLINCK}

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