In the East Flemish municipality of Brakel coalition talks are underway between the liberal party Open VLD and local party Broakel 2.0. With 13 of the 25 seats the liberals have a majority on their own. However, they decided to seek a partner to bolster the majority still further and to ensure stability in the governance of the municipality that is located between Geraardsbergen and Ronse.
Is Belgium's outgoing Federal Prime Minister Alexander De Croo set to become Mayor of his home municipality of Brakel?
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At the head of the liberal list was none other than the outgoing Federal Prime Minister Alexander De Croo. Mr De Croo is Brakel born and bred and his family has been active in politics there for generations.
Speaking during the announcement of the new coalition Mr De Croo, whose Open VLD list won 43.2% of the votes, said “I look forward to working with our strong team in the coming years to make a difference for everyone in Brakel”. This would seem to indicate that the outgoing Federal Prime Minister is resigned to taking on a role at municipal level for the foreseeable future.
Mr De Croo went on to say that “Our team combines experience with fresh ideas and this is something that you can feel. The agreement we have reached really puts the citizen at the heart of things. We will be continuing to invest in a safe, clean and hospitable municipality where everyone feels at home. Together, we will build a Brakel that is prepared for the future without losing sight of our past”.
Mr De Croo’s coalition partner, the head of the Broakel 2.0 list, Bart Morreels told VRT News that “We are committed to an ambitious and transparent plan. We will sit down together in the coming weeks to work out a concrete programme of policies. In terms of content, our visions do not differ that much. This gives us every confidence in the coming weeks we will be able to draw up a strong substantive plan for everyone in Brakel”.