The Council of State ruled that former Minister of Justice Paul Van Tigchelt wrongfully promoted one of his own cabinet aides to the rank of Police Chief in 2024.
The decision, reported by De Morgen on Wednesday, follows legal proceedings brought by the police union VSOA.
At the end of the Vivaldi government’s term, Van Tigchelt (Anders) decided to recommend Commissioner Mathias Degandt to then Minister of the then Interior Annelies Verlinden (CD&V) for promotion to Police Chief. Van Tigchelt made use of an exceptional clause to push the promotion.
According to the unions, that exceptional clause did not apply to Degandt. As a member of the Technical and Administrative Secretariat (SAT) of Justice, Degandt was not a liaison officer, the VSOA argued.
The Council of State has ruled in favour of the trade unions and considers that the legal conditions for promoting Degandt to Police Chief by Royal Decree were not met.
However, it has not gone so far as to suspend the promotion of Degandt, who is now Director of Operations at the local police force in Ostend.
According to the police unions, this is not the first time that cabinet staff have been unlawfully promoted to Police Chief.
A few weeks ago, the Chamber of Representatives approved a bill by Maaike De Vreese (N-VA) which means that cabinet staff can no longer be promoted to Chief Superintendent via a backdoor route.
