The Carnival Aalst parade on Sunday featured satirical depictions of politicians and current events.
Revellers poked fun at Flemish Education Minister Zuhal Demir and Defence Minister Theo Francken, both from the N-VA party.
The recent AI mishap by Ghent University rector Petra De Sutter was also lampooned at the event.
Local topics, such as plans for Aalst’s Rechteroever area, took centre stage, while Mayor Christoph D’Haese became a target of playful mockery, with large puppets representing him paraded through the streets.
Ironical nods to Matthias De Ridder, Aalst’s councillor for events, were also part of the procession.
Other notable figures, including Ruben Van Gucht, were featured in the satire, alongside international subjects like drones, Greenland, and ICE agents in the United States.
Cultural references such as The Real Housewives and criticism of Belgium’s public transport operator NMBS also found their way into the parade.
Some groups used their platform to highlight their frustration with delays in the parade’s previous editions and the overall pace of the procession.
This year, the parade included 70 fixed groups, while 248 loose or occasional groups registered to participate.
According to Mayor D’Haese, around 5,500 individuals took part in organising and marching in this year’s parade.
