Stevaert – known as just Steve to most – was one of the most remarkable politicians of his time. He succeeded in the sheer impossible: making socialism sexy.

He was atypical in many ways. As a former pub owner with little formal education, he became one of the most powerful people in this country. And while socialists are usually associated with high taxes, Stevaert became mostly known for lowering them.

He made his name as mayor of Hasselt, where he introduced free public transport. Gratis – free – became Steve’s mantra. As a minister in the Flemish government he abolished the TV license, making TV gratis as well. His critics argued that nothing comes for free: In the end, someone has to pay up. Stevaert retorted that we can all use the roads for free and the streets are lit gratis, too. Free simply means that the taxpayer pays for certain services, not the user. Still, people would call these “stunts”, the alliteration of Steve “stunt” Stevaert thrown in for free, too.

In 2003, Stevaert’s popularity reached a peak when SP.A scored over 23% at the federal elections. One newspaper even wrote “Steve is God”. Stevaert was idolised like Guy Verhofstadt before him, Yves Leterme later and Bart De Wever now. The Flemish are not very committed to their gods though; once they reach their peak, the only way is down.

Aware of this, Stevaert pulled another stunt in 2005, when he left parliament to become governor of the province of Limburg, citing health reasons for the career switch. He soon left that, too, though, preferring to pursue his business interests instead.

In recent weeks, Stevaert became the victim of blackmail in a bizarre sex scandal. While most of the press does not go into the details, it has started to delve into “the Steve system”. Stevaert’s political communication may have been very modern, but his way of operating was not. He was at the heart of an old boys’ network that controlled Limburg. As a result, everything that goes wrong in that province – from the Pukkelpop disaster to the problems within the Hasselt police – is now traced back to Stevaert. His business contacts, too, have come under scrutiny. Time for a final stunt: the great disappearing act.