Ecolo has elected Marie-Colline Leroy and Gilles Vanden Burre as its new co-leaders during the party’s general assembly in Louvain-la-Neuve on Sunday, with their ticket receiving near-unanimous approval.
Over 600 party members participated in the vote, which saw 584 supporting the duo, 12 opposing, 18 abstaining, and one spoiling their ballot.
The newly elected leaders aim to revitalise the green party’s influence in Belgian politics, at a time when Ecolo’s ecological message struggles to gain traction amidst economic challenges, energy insecurity, and political conflict.
Their election follows a turbulent period for Ecolo. The previous co-presidents, Marie Lecocq and Samuel Cogolati, stepped down in November, leaving the party temporarily run by a collective leadership team that included parliamentary group leaders and MEP Saskia Bricmont.
The Leroy-Vanden Burre pairing had initially stood for election in July 2024, after Ecolo suffered significant setbacks in the federal, regional, and European elections earlier that year. However, they lost to Lecocq and Cogolati in a vote attended by over 800 party members.
Now leading the party, Leroy and Vanden Burre present themselves as complementary figures. Leroy, originally from Hainaut and with roots in local politics in Frasnes-lez-Anvaing, previously served in the federal government as Secretary of State for Gender Equality, Equal Opportunities, and Diversity. Vanden Burre, from Brussels, has a background in business and management, with professional experience in banking and industry before entering politics as a parliamentarian.
Both faced the political fallout of Ecolo’s electoral losses in June 2024, which relegated the party to opposition at all governance levels beyond local councils.
Leroy is regarded as a grassroots activist dedicated to education and reducing inequalities, while Vanden Burre emphasises the links between ecology and economic innovation, with a special focus on entrepreneurship.
Their ability to broaden Ecolo’s appeal, including engaging businesses, the self-employed, and the middle class, is seen as crucial to the party’s resurgence.
In January, Gilles Vanden Burre stated the duo’s ambition to speak to all sections of society, including the economic sector, while remaining rooted in progressive values. Under the banner of solidarity and empowerment, they pledged to confront conservative and polarising narratives with a “cultural battle” to amplify Ecolo’s voice.
