What concessions will outgoing mayor Mathias De Clercq (liberal on the Voor Gent list) be prepared to make in order to land a further term as mayor of the East Flemish capital? Will Voor Gent, De Clercq’s bet on a joint list of candidates with the socialists of Vooruit and independents come off and appeal to enough Ghentians to sideline the greens’ Filip Watteeuw in the municipal elections on 13 October? The people of Ghent are thought to be more divided than ever on mobility and housing, and although the city coffers are almost empty, big projects are still planned. Whatever the voters decide, the new city council will have to make hard choices.
The outgoing coalition consists of four parties: liberal Open VLD, green Groen, socialist Vooruit (formerly SP.A) and Christian democrat CD&V. Liberal Mathias De Clercq (Open VLD) heads the current team. City cabinet members Filip Watteeuw and Hafsa El-Bazioui (green), Astrid De Bruycker (socialist Vooruit) and Isabel Heyndrickx (Christian democrat CD&V) are the coalition's other leading candidates.
At the last municipal elections six years ago socialists and greens pooled resources presenting a joint list of candidates. Together they won 21 seats on the local council (14 for the greens and 7 for the socialists) but sat on the municipal council as separate parties. Liberal Open VLD landed 15 seats and included Christian democrat CD&V, with 4 seats, in the city cabinet.
Flemish nationalist N-VA was the largest opposition party (6 seats), followed by far right Vlaams Belang (4 seats) and far left PVDA (3 seats). Over the past six years two majority councillors decided to sit as independents.
What has been achieved?
Ghent was able to secure large and important future investments. The Flemish government promised some 800 million euros for new tram lines and for creating tunnels at major traffic junctions. The city ring road will be moved and the new Verapaz Bridge will be constructed. An alternative is planned for the crumbling bridge on the E17 motorway in Gentbrugge.
The city is launching a new city office and a technology hub in the renovated Winter Circus. Ghent is attracting entrepreneurs and start-ups; a lot of companies are setting up in and around Zwijnaarde. The site is finding its place on the map as a knowledge centre. All this creates mobility challenges. Employers' organisation VOKA is asking the city administration to focus more on this issue.
‘The Ghentian economy is booming: we have the lowest vacancy rate of all major Flemish cities, 20,000 jobs have been created over the past six years, new business parks are rapidly being filled. Ghent has the largest number of new companies of all Flemish cities. The port of Ghent is doing extremely well,’ says mayor Mathias De Clercq (liberal Open VLD/Voor Gent).
Ghent has witnessed major public works and investments in cycling and pedestrian infrastructure. ‘We systematically opt for wide accessible pavements when streets are renovated. Additional bicycle subways were added and the bridge over the Watersportbaan was the icing on the cake,’ says alderman Filip Watteeuw (green).
Ghent redeveloped several city districts forming new neighbourhoods (e.g. the Old Docksides) and received awards for it. Work was undertaken in the city centre, but also in outer-lying centres of former villages that today form the Ghent conurbation. New parks were created and other green areas were expanded. Not all change was experienced as entirely successful, e.g. the redevelopment of the Overpoortstraat – the student entertainment district – is being reviewed.
After the introduction of a circulation plan during the last council period the outgoing city cabinet continued to make adjustments in many neighbourhoods. The city implemented district mobility plans in the districts of Oud Gentbrugge, Sint-Amandsberg and Zwijnaarde. More plans were considered for other districts but have been postponed. Original plans were delayed and adjusted.
In recent years Ghent was also able to tackle some difficult dossiers, including a safety plan and a fence around the Blaarmeersen recreation park. There the number of incidents was reduced, although the weather also played a role. Almost all parties want to make outdoor swimming possible at other locations.
Revellers at the Festival of Ghent can now finally use a reusable cup on most squares. This is to the credit of the organisers; the city mediated and provided subsidies. During the city festival, there is also a hotline allowing visitors to report transgressive behaviour. In recent years, the city has focused on a safer nightlife, with special training for people witnessing an incident and with coaches to inform revellers in the student nightlife district.
What has not been achieved?
The city cabinet wanted to bring citizens together but is said to have failed. There was internal disagreement about the approach, which became increasingly visible in recent months. Ghentian residents are also more often at odds with each other than previously. ‘The polarisation between Ghent residents has never been greater. The neighbourhood circulation plans and other interventions set people against each other,’ says Anneleen Van Bossuyt (Flemish nationalist N-VA).
‘We as a city government have also created false expectations in terms of participation. That leads to frustration. We need to be clearer about what we present to the people of Ghent, what scope there is for participation and how it is handled,’ says Isabelle Heyndrickx (Christian democrat CD&V).
It's not only mobility that raised the temperature. Consensus was also hard to find on other issues: the fence around the Blaarmeersen recreation park, the approach to pro-Palestinian activists at Ghent University (UGent) and the arrival of Queen Nikkolah, a black woman who wants to be an alternative Saint Nicholas. Majority parties but also the people of Ghent had different opinions on the matter.
Housing in Ghent has not become more affordable. Ghent is in danger of becoming a city for the ‘happy few’ who can buy or rent housing there. Trade is booming and the city is attracting new residents, but not everyone can keep up. The number of homeless people continues to rise.
It must be said that the city is making many efforts to help people in vulnerable groups, but these are not always successful. A project involving trailer residents proved not to be an unqualified success. The tragic death of Raul, a 9-year-old Romanian boy, who had died months before his body was found, shows that some groups in the population remain under the radar despite many initiatives.
Ghent is financially constrained. The city raised taxes, even though before the elections Mayor Mathias De Clercq had promised not to do so. There were also rounds of cuts. Some services became more expensive. Cuts went ahead in the city administration though readjustments were later made.
Historical debt rose to €1.1 billion. The city says there are reserves, but the mountain of debt continues to grow. ‘Debts must come down. We must focus on our core tasks and review subsidies,’ Flemish nationalist N-VA insists. Christian democrat CD&V also thinks the city authorities should tighten their belts.
What topics are preoccupying Ghentians?
Mobility divides Ghent residents
In Ghent, opinion on current mobility policy, especially the district mobility plans, is very divided. In the district of Zwijnaarde and the Oud Gentbrugge/Dampoort district, the plans led to a lot of discussions. The plans ban cars from residential areas and divert them via major traffic arteries. They were eventually rolled out after delays and extra checks and after internal dissension within the council majority.
Supporters are happy with the tranquillity the plans provide as well as the space it creates for cyclists and pedestrians in certain places. Opponents point to (new) dangerous traffic situations. Longer journey times and traffic jams are also a bone of contention. Disagreement led to several court cases.
Focus groups suggest that Ghent does not listen to residents' concerns enough. This is a remarkable takeaway given the city council has put a lot of effort into citizen participation. This issue drove a wedge between greens on the one hand and socialists and liberals on the other.
‘Mobility is a theme that evokes a lot of emotion. As a result it is important to listen to people carefully. If it emerges that certain things don't work in practice, then you shouldn't stubbornly stick to your plans but make adjustments,’ Mayor De Clercq says.
There is also concern about road safety in certain neighbourhoods. The many roadworks, the revamp of the bus network and the renovation of Flanders' busiest tram line are all causing frustration. The city is not always responsible, but the administration does share in the criticism.
How does Ghent keep housing affordable?
A year before the elections, a public consultation on affordable housing was conducted. About 33,000 Ghentians took part. The majority spoke out in favour of additional measures to keep housing affordable. The city and organisations working on this issue decided to ask the Flemish government to do more.
After the consultation Ghent drew up a roadmap to ensure that its own buildings are only sold to private partners if there are no other options. In doing so, the preference is to use them first and foremost for social housing. There is also the intention to increase the number of social housing units to 20 per cent. The city cabinet and housing associations have asked for people's understanding and patience.
‘Some houses were antiquated and had to be demolished. On others a huge renovation operation was launched. We invested some 90 million euros. No city does better,’ Hafsa El-Bazioui (green) stresses.
It is also difficult to find affordable housing on the private market. The municipal barometer shows that house prices have risen 20 per cent in two years. Ghent obliges developers to provide a proportion of cheaper housing in new projects. Some people have to move because they cannot find affordable good housing.
The city is banking on ‘budget housing’. The opposition is not impressed. ‘A budget rental house costs over 900 euros per month. That is then supposedly for people who cannot afford to rent on the private market. But who can afford that? Meanwhile, luxury projects continue to be launched,’ says Tom De Meester (far left PVDA).
Far right Vlaams Belang thinks social tenants should be looked after. ‘We think people with Belgian nationality should have priority for social housing and knowledge of Dutch should be mandatory for social tenants,’ says top candidate Johan Deckmyn.
Ghent is a big student city, where many young people live in digs. There are too few rooms available. That’s why young people start living together in family homes, which is not allowed. It is difficult for the city to check this. The average price for a student room is now 523 euros a month. This is too much for more than 1 in 3 young people and therefore a reason not to live in digs.
The pressure on the city is enormous and new people continue to arrive. Making affordable housing available for all groups is one of the biggest challenges for the next city cabinet. All parties have put the issue prominently in their election manifestos, although the solutions are obviously very different.
Who are Ghent’s movers and shakers?
Mathias De Clercq wants to remain mayor and heads the list of candidates on the Voor Gent list bringing liberals, socialists and independents together. It is not a cartel, but a new movement that will sit on the council as one group. The aim is to become the biggest and to score better than Groen. For the socialists, Astrid De Bruycker heads the list and former minister Freya Van den Bossche also returns to Ghent politics.
If De Clercq succeeds, he can sideline ecologist Groen and replace it in the majority coalition by nationalist N-VA and/or Christian democrat CD&V, although the mayor himself does not want to say so in so many words. ‘For us, only one thing counts and that is the substance. Which story is best for our city and who can we write it with? Ghent is a progressive city, and it absolutely has to stay that way.’
Ecologist groen hopes to score well, against the national trend. Top candidate Filip Watteeuw can boast a host of achievements. Although these often generate strong criticism from opponents. Groen is also putting alderman Hafsa El-Bazioui forward as co-list leader. If Groen maintains its position, De Clercq may have to run the city with the ecologists once again.
The chances of Groen becoming bigger than Voor Gent are slim but not non-existent. In a recent poll by daily Het Nieuwsblad, it is a neck-and-neck race. If Groen scores very well, the party will again have to continue with Voor Gent; a collaboration with N-VA is unlikely. Watteeuw does not explicitly put himself forward as the mayoral candidate, as he evokes fierce opposition from part of the people of Ghent.
Anneleen Van Bossuyt of Flemish nationalist N-VA is prepared to join a coalition with Voor Gent. That would mirror the Flemish government, especially if the CD&V joins in. That will make it easy to find funds and finance projects. The better N-VA scores, the greater the chance of this scenario. The party has ruled out cooperation with far right Vlaams Belang and far left PVDA, as well as with the greens. ‘They too often point a pedantic finger, so joining forces with them is not an option.’
Flemish Christian democrat CD&V is the smallest party in the majority now, with 3 seats. Alderman Isabelle Heyndrickx wants to ensure growth but has failed to stand out in recent years with a brief that attracts little public attention. This smaller party may gain in significance if the radical parties narrow the field of play.
Tom De Meester of far left PVDA left parliament to focus on Ghent. The party is doing well in the polls and can take votes from Groen and Voor Gent on the left. That makes the field of play smaller and the result more unpredictable. PVDA made its mark through solid work in opposition, especially by De Meester. He hopes for a doubling of council seats. However, participation in the city cabinet seems to have been ruled out.
Far right Vlaams Belang also hopes to gain more councillors and, in addition to lead candidate Johan Deckmyn, is opting for young and new names. The party seems set to grow somewhat but weighs little on policy in Ghent as no other party will work with it. The party traditionally scores well on security and migration, issues that play less of a role in Ghent.
FouadAhidar&TeamGent is the most notable newcomer in Ghent at this election. The list was set up by Brussels politician Ahidar. From nowhere he gained several seats in the Flemish and Brussels elections. In Ghent, Sidi El Omari is the list leader. El Omari once won the 'Strafste Gentenaar' title recognising personal achievement in the East Flemish capital. He is active in several non-profit organisations. Winning a seat does not seem beyond his reach. That could be one of the surprises of the 13 October elections.