Elections 2024: Far left joins Mons city council

In the city of Mons, the Workers' Party of Belgium (PVDA-PTB) will join the new city council. This is the first time the far-left party has come to power in a Walloon city.

The new administration of the capital of Hainaut will be formed by the Liste du Bourgmestre of the current socialist PS mayor Nicolas Martin, the green party Ecolo and the PVDA-PTB. 

The socialists and greens have governed Mons in recent years but lost their majority in the last local elections. The three parties received the green light from their constituencies for the leftist tripartite on Thursday.

Good balance

Martin said no to a partnership with Mons and Mieux of the liberal MR party leader Georges-Louis Bouchez, which became the second largest in Mons with 14 seats after Martin's list with 22 seats. PVDA-PTB won four seats in Mons, Ecolo won two. 

"We come out of the negotiations with many ambitions that meet the expectations of the three partners, in a good balance," said PVDA-PTB list leader Céline De Bruyn. She will be the second alderman in charge of youth, housing and equal opportunities.

Internal debate

In Flanders, the PVDA-PTB has been represented on Zelzate municipal council and the Borgerhout district council in recent years, but this is a first for French-speaking Belgium. 

In Brussels, the party still has a chance of taking power in the municipalities of Forest, Molenbeek and Schaerbeek, but negotiations are still under way.

The possibility of governing with the far left divides the French-speaking parties. MR and Les Engagés have clear instructions not to form a coalition with the PVDA-PTB. PS and Ecolo do not have this instruction, but there is an internal debate. 

^{The Ducasse folklore festival in Mons © BELGA PHOTO HATIM KAGHAT}