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A new era

For just a brief moment, waving through an open window of Antwerp City Hall, he looked like Sinterklaas, the Episcopal figure that spoils Flemish children with sweets and toys. To many Flemings, Bart De Wever, who won Antwerp’s local elections convincingly, is indeed something of a Sinterklaas: an almost saintly figure that brings nothing but good.
Anja Otte
(October 17, 2024)
10 things to watch out for on election night

1. Local elections are, above all, local. The general trends journalists report may mean nothing with respect to the town you live in, where popular candidates can make all the difference.
Anja Otte
(October 9, 2024)
Spoken for

Local elections are all about local people and local lists. Take SP.A. You won’t find that party’s initials on the ballot in Antwerp, despite socialist mayor Patrick Janssens heading the Stadslijst (“city list”). In Hasselt, the same party is known as Helemaal Hasselt (“entirely Hasselt”), while in Genk it is PROGenk.
Anja Otte
(October 3, 2024)
The third way

Bart De Wever, the president of the nationalist N-VA, has dominated the headlines for years now. Not just because of politics; his personality also makes for endless fascination, as the recent launch of a book on his spectacular diet once again proved. Given all this, the road to Antwerp city hall seemed wide open for him – until Antwerp’s sitting mayor Patrick Janssens began his own campaign.

Anja Otte
(September 26, 2024)
Seeking a Flemish Rutte

The Dutch elections, won by liberal prime minister Mark Rutte, are a rare ray of hope to many a member of Open VLD, for it is hard being a Flemish liberal these days.
Anja Otte
(September 19, 2024)
An offer you can refuse

Nothing winds the Flemish up more than taxes. Tax evasion is seen as a national sport; many find it justifiable as the tax rate is so high. Others realise that evasion is precisely one of the reasons for the high rates.
Anja Otte
(September 12, 2024)
Pre-electoral sluggishness

In Ghent, the new Stadshal has opened, amidst plenty of controversy. Many other towns and cities also hold receptions for new sites and projects these days, finished in time for the local elections. This whirlwind of municipal activity stands in sharp contrast to the federal government’s present state of near lethargy.
Anja Otte
(September 5, 2024)
Challenge from the left

From Sunday on, VTM will broadcast Deadline 14/10, the Flemish drama series that has been likened to the Danish award-winning series The Killing. Deadline 14/10 mixes fiction with reality, partially set in Antwerp’s City Hall. It focuses on the upcoming local elections in Antwerp, with two characters based on socialist mayor Patrick Janssens and his nationalist challenger Bart De Wever. (So much so that Janssens had hoped that it would not be aired until after 14 October.)
Anja Otte
(August 29, 2024)
Power struggle

Every legislation needs a trophy, a symbolic issue addressed to please at least one of the coalition partners. What BHV is for the Di Rupo legislation, ethical issues such as euthanasia and same-sex marriage were for the Verhofstadt years. The nuclear exit – an end to the nuclear power production in this country – was another of Verhofstadt’s trophies.
Anja Otte
(August 22, 2024)
Socialist crown prince

Showing off his silver Fender Stratocaster. This is how De Standaard presented John Crombez (SP.A) some days ago. Now there was a side we had not seen yet from the man who was omnipresent in the media since he became secretary of state for Fraud Control.
Anja Otte
(August 15, 2024)