12 of the 23 local councillors appoint Waucquez as burgomaster: “Now it’s time to renovate De Klimboom”.
Local elections
Bertrand Waucquez will remain mayor of Kraainem for the next six years. At the installation meeting on Thursday evening, he won 12 of the 23 votes cast in his favor. In communes with facilities, mayors are appointed by the local councillors. Kraainem, however, will have to do without an additional alderman for the time being. “And this could last a few months yet.
Unlike in 2018, when Bertrand Waucquez’s Kraainem-Unie had to form a coalition with PRO Kraainem to oust MR-Défi-Ind, the list can now govern on its own. LB Kraainem-Unie won 12 of the 23 seats in the October 13 elections, giving it an absolute majority. MR-Défi-Ind won 9 seats, while PRO Kraainem took 2. The N-VA took no seats on the town council. In recent weeks, Bertrand Waucquez has decided not to take on a coalition partner.
On Thursday evening, the installation meeting was held in this commune with facilities. Unlike ordinary communes, the burgomaster is appointed by the commune councillors and therefore requires a majority of votes. Waucquez received 12 of the 23 votes, while the other 11 councillors abstained. “Surprise, surprise”, he said with a smile after the meeting.
Nathalie Woitrin
In communes with facilities, aldermen are elected directly by the college, whether they belong to the majority or the opposition. At the installation meeting, Marie-France Constant and Vinciane De Meutter-Cardinael (LB Kraainem-Unie) were sworn in as aldermen, as were Elisabeth de Foestraets-d’Ursel and Françoise Devleeschouwer, from the MR-Défi-Ind opposition cartel. Later, when Waucquez is officially appointed by provincial governor Jan Spooren, Nathalie Woitrin (LB Kraainem-Unie) will also join the aldermen’s college. “But it could still take a few months,” says the mayor, who will be the only male member of the college.
A long-term vision
Bertrand Waucquez is looking forward to his new term of office. “On the one hand, we want to continue with certain projects that have already been launched, but we also want to carry out some new ones. One of the most important is the renovation of the De Klimboom school, as well as the modernization of certain roads and the opening of our new Octopus meeting center. What’s more, unlike the previous mandate, we want to develop a long-term vision. We need to look beyond the next six years to prepare Kraainem for the future.”
