Melissa Depraetere is the new president of Vooruit, the Flemish socialist party, and will lead the party into next year’s elections. Conner Rousseau, who has steered the party to new heights in the opinion polls, but has been at the centre of several controversies, resigned at the weekend following a racist outburst to the police following a session of heavy drinking.
Until now the 31-year-old West Fleming headed the Flemish socialist group in the federal chamber of representatives. She has been at his side for many years and is seen as a confidante.
"I know we are the only party that makes a difference for ordinary people. I know that because I am one of them. I come from an ordinary working-class family," Depraetere said summing up, in a few sentences, the basis of her political commitment.
Speaking at a news conference this morning, Melissa Depraetere, flanked by Belgian international development minister Caroline Gennez, stressed that Conner Rousseau's words had been racist and sexist. "All our elected members vigorously condemn the statements made during a night of drinking" they said in unison.
Not predestined for politics
Depraetere says she was not predestined for politics. As a teenager she harboured no ambitions in that direction and at home politics was hardly discussed.
The Socialists now have a leader from a working-class family: her father was a welder, her mother works as a logistics assistant in a care home. This background makes her engage in politics in a different way than many of her colleagues, she says: "I come from a totally different environment than most politicians. For a long time I was ashamed of my salary because it was such a big contrast with that of my brother and parents."
Depraetere hails from Harelbeke in West Flanders and at Vooruit has formed a tandem with Rousseau for years. He as chairman, she as group leader in the chamber and as Rousseau's confidant. Just how close the bond it was evident in recent days. She alone defended him on in front of TV cameras on Thursday after new details about his racist and sexist statements became known. "These statements were wrong, apologies have been issued. Conner will implement the sanctions and that means everything has been said."
From collaborator to group leader in five years
The 31-year-old Depraetere - she also has her age in common with Rousseau - entered politics about 10 years ago. She started as a staff member working for the party and in 2014 became a member of the council that runs social services in her home base, Harelbeke. She makes her mark in national politics, working with former Vooruit leader John Crombez and exposing irregularities in the dossier on the replacement of F-16 fighter-jets.
She also makes her mark in the party. As a 25-year-old, she and Rousseau put forward a proposal to reform the party: "One Sunday we wrote a plan and handed it to the party executive. Some of the older members rolled their eyes," she later told the media.
In 2019, she gets elected to parliament standing on the second place of the socialist list in West Flanders. She polled more than 12,000 preferential votes. When her party enters the current coalition government, she becomes group leader in the same chamber. In important debates, she is the face of Vooruit in this assembly. Depraetere is an influential voice attacking the low savings rates paid by the banks and argues for lower VAT on energy.