Ninove (Brussels Morning Newspaper): Guy D’haeseleer of Forza Ninove secured a majority in Ninove’s local council, winning 47.4% of the votes and 18 out of 35 seats. He will govern key areas, while Malika Sclacmender focuses on youth and sports. An investigation into potential electoral fraud involving 1,618 proxy votes is ongoing, with outgoing mayor Tania De Jonge considering a complaint.
D’haeseleer has secured a strong majority in the local council with his Vlaams Belang party, Forza Ninove, allowing him to govern without partners. He will oversee key areas such as safety, staff, social housing, and communication. Corijn will handle finance and tourism, while D’haeseleer’s 20-year-old stepdaughter will also serve as an alderman. Malika Sclacmender will focus on youth, sports, and animal welfare. D’haeseleer stated that he was encouraged to take on this role and believes in giving young people opportunities.
Is Forza Ninove’s victory under threat amid an investigation of proxy voting fraud?
Sclacmender thinks being young helps her as the alderman for Youth, She is temporarily stepping back from her nursing studies to focus on this role. She said, “If I can help young people, I will do that gladly.” The other aldermen are Ilse Malfroot, who has been in the Flemish Parliament since 2019, and Werner Somers, who just joined this year. The new team in Ninove is the same size as the last one.
D’haeseleer wants to make the municipality safer in the coming years and fight against “francoisation” while bringing back the Flemish character. He mentioned that the budget is very low and plans to propose a long-term program next spring. An investigation into possible fraud in the municipal elections in Ninove is still ongoing. Outgoing mayor Tania De Jonge from Positief Ninove is considering filing a complaint with the Council for Electoral Disputes.
