In the East Flemish city of Ghent, councillors representing the Open VLD party on Monday approved the agreement between the Voor Gent list and the Groen party.
The liberal members of Voor Gent - an alliance of the Vooruit socialists and Open VLD liberals - narrowly approved the agreement with the Greens, with 53% of the vote.
The environmentalists approved the agreement later on Monday night.
"We had a very calm and constructive meeting during which everyone was able to honestly express their concerns, their critical reservations and their positive points," Open Vld's Mathias De Clercq said. "It was respectful, intense and also full of emotion, but in the end reason prevailed, and that's what Ghent needs."
Socialists said 'No' to teaming up with N-VA
De Clercq is expected to don the mayoral sash with a majority of 33 out of 53 seats on the city council.
Later that evening, the Groen party congress also gave its backing to the agreement with Voor Gent. The coalition received 98% of 'Yes' votes from the 240 Groen members present.
The conclusion of an agreement between Ghent's environmentalists, socialists and liberals was full of twists and turns, as the Voor Gent list had already reached an agreement with the Flemish nationalists of the Nieuw-Vlaamse Alliantie (N-VA).
That agreement had been approved by 97.5% of the Liberals, but was rejected by the members of Vooruit.
'This is not the end,' N-VA vows
However, collaboration with the ecologists still seemed possible, and a charm offensive, notably by Minister Petra De Sutter (Groen), led to an agreement between Voor Gent and Groen.
N-VA list leader Anneleen Van Bossuyt reacted to these approvals during the night.
"We would have liked to put in place an innovative project for Ghent," she commented on social networks. "But I promise you: this is not the end.
"What has happened over the last few weeks, the way we have been treated, the support you have given us and continue to give us, only makes us stronger and even more convinced to go all the way," she promised her electorate.
