In 2010 and 2020, Belgium broke records for the longest time without a Government, revealing the unique federal system of the country. In 2016, the world witnessed the challenges of Belgium’s judicial system and communication problems with State security forces during the terrorist attacks. Now, in 2024, the spotlight is on the mayors, uncovering the intriguing aspects of regional and municipal self-government.
Last week, Emir Kir, the mayor of Saint-Josse, one of Brussels’ communes, made headlines by banning a conservative group conference featuring speakers with far-right sympathies. The controversy arose due to renowned figures like Viktor Orban, Éric Zemmour, Suella Braverman, and MEPs being among the speakers. The mayor justified the decision on security grounds, but critics condemned it as an unconstitutional attack on freedom of expression, pointing to the cordon sanitaire and the upcoming elections as the real motivations.
In less than two months, Belgium will hold regional and federal elections alongside the European elections, heightening the battle mode for the popular and influential mayors. While Kir faced fame and criticism, two other mayors had previously exerted pressure to prevent conferences and round tables in their neighborhoods.
De Wolf, who has been mayor since 1992, appears negligible compared to Claude Eerdekens, who has held office for an astounding 52 years. Kir, hailing from a mining family that migrated to Charleroi, has been serving as mayor of Saint-Josse, the Turkish area of Brussels, since 2012. Ironically, he now finds himself countering the far-right, despite his previous expulsion from the Socialist Party for his connections with Turkish nationalist forces and meeting with far-right party mayors, breaking the cordon sanitaire.
However, the true incredibility lies in the world of municipal politics itself. Mayors often build strength through pacts, strategies, and systemic clientelism, utilizing job opportunities, public aid, public housing, and even identity communities. Philippe Moureaux, a legendary figure, mastered this in Molenbeek, a socialist stronghold where he was in power for two decades before passing the baton to his daughter. Terms like favoritism, cronyism, and clientelism are commonly associated with Belgian municipal politics, where everyone knows each other, offers mutual support, and where change is rare due to benefits for almost everyone involved.