The Flemish conservative leader who won a drag queen show to demand rights

The assessment of the president of the jury, Vanessa Van Cartier, surprised and enthusiastic, was very clear: “You were born for this, baby”. The budding artist's response, equally heartfelt: “Yeah, baby”. Without a doubt, the natural talent was there. Sammy Mahdi had never worn high heels and could barely get up from the couch.. And in an instant and as if nothing had happened, he advanced on a set, swayed, turned with grace, elegance and a lot of rhythm from 20 centimeter platforms.. Ripping orange, ready to sweep. The image, visually extraordinary, would have nothing special if it were not for the fact that the candidate to win in Make up your mind, a program on the VTM network, is none other than the president of the CD&V party, the Flemish Christian Democratic party.

The show is an ingenious play on words, because in English it means make up your mind, but it also refers to makeup. The politician's transformation was incredible and the name chosen, Cindy Envy, was brilliant, because when read aloud it sounds almost exactly the same as the acronym of her political force.. Mahdi was charming, relaxed, loose, smiling. Perfectly integrated into the dynamic, taking advantage of his undeniable communication skills in front of the camera.

Flemish society, not the most progressive on the planet, has had some problems accepting its participation. They believe that it is not serious, that a politician should not lend himself to those things and that he ignores traditional values. But his response is blunt: “Drag queen shows are prohibited in Tennessee, in the United States.”. In Italy they are banned on television. We take many of the rights we enjoy in Belgium for granted, but we shouldn't.. We must continue the fight by all means, because today it could be drag shows and tomorrow maybe homosexual marriage. We have to continue fighting and if I can do it with 20 cm heels, I will do it with great pleasure,” she said to cheers when her identity was revealed.

Sammy Mahdi (34), son of a Flemish woman and an Iraqi man, has a degree in political science. He was responsible for the party's Youth and Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration. In June 2022, he won with 97% of the votes at the congress that his party held in an amusement park and changed his life.

The objective is to modernize and get closer to a younger voter. Polls forced the resignation of his predecessor. And in a chain they forced Mahdi to leave his position in the Government to focus on internal management. Many thought that strategically it was not the best. Flanders has been moving to the right, and polls place the far-right Vlaams Belang (whose predecessor was outlawed and which until recently suffered from a cordon sanitaire) in the lead. Migration is the big issue and the now winner of television contests was characterized in office by a tough policy.

Despite his origins, having suffered racism firsthand, from his exiled grandfather, Mahdi advocated restricting entries and harshly persecuting those who do not have the legal right to be in the country.. And he had his lowest moment when, in a famous hunger strike that almost brought down the Government, he promised to review the files of the plaintiffs, and then betray them.. Now he washes his image, but before rights were not a priority.