Elias Ammi, president of the Schaerbeek section of DéFi, has left his party to join Team Fouad Ahidar ahead of local elections to be held on 13 October.
Born in Schaerbeek, Ammi asserts his deep connection to the area. He brings to the table a wealth of international experience and inside knowledge of the municipality, gleaned from his time serving as the chief of staff of several aldermen and mayors.
He is also a member of the boards of the Foyer Schaerbeekois public social housing organisation, the local employment agency and the municipality's nursery network.
“After many years with DéFi, I have decided to change direction,” Ammi announced in a statement, explaining his disaffection with the party’s ideology as the motivation for the change and the reason why he opted not to run in the regional elections.
Ammi’s decision to join Fouad Ahidar’s party is not an isolated incident. A similar move was made in mid-August by Schaerbeek city councillor Ange-Raïssa Uzanziga, a former member of the Dutch-speaking ecological party, Groen. Soon after that, former Nieuw-Vlaamse Alliantie member Nadine Van Lysebetten, hinted that she could make a political comeback on the Team Fouad Ahidar list in Anderlecht.
Ahidar established his party back in February, following his withdrawal from Vooruit in late 2023 amid controversy over comments he made regarding the Gaza conflict.
His list ultimately came second, after Groen, in the Dutch-speaking group at the regional elections in Brussels, securing three seats in the regional parliament.
In a conversation with La Libre on Tuesday, Ahidar hinted at a wave of party transfers to be announced this week.
