The Social-Democratic Flemish party (sp.a) in the City of Brussels decided on Monday to present a list of citizens for the October municipal elections. Pascal Smet, minister for mobility and public works in the regional government of Brussels, will not be part of the list.
The City of Brussels is one of the 19 municipalities of Brussels region where the Flemish socialists will not be on the same list as their French-speaking friends. The relations between the two sections deteriorated considerably after the revelation of the Samusocial scandal that implicated the former mayor, Yvan Mayeu.
The alderman for Flemish Affairs and Urban Revitalization, Ans Persoons, left the communal council last June because she refused granting a further mandate as alderman to Mayeur . She will lead the list. The first names will be announced by the end of the month.
"We have to do politics differently in this city, and this collaboration is a response to this: committed Brussels residents from all neighborhoods and communities who reflect our city's richness will be on our list, said Persoons, who wants a "more social, more progressive and more sustainable" policy for the city.
After 12 years on the communal council, Pascal Smet decided not to run for another term. "Time has come for local renewal. Participating in an election only to resign directly if one is elected is part of the old political culture," he said.
Smet says he wants to focus fully on his mandate to the region and the May 2019 regional elections. In an interview in The Brussels Times Magazine he explained his one Brussels vision of transforming Brussels from a city divided into 19 municipalities with more than 1 000 politicians to one city with a more effective administration, coherent policies in all areas and streamlined services.
The Brussels Times
