Aalter (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Flemish Interior Minister Hilde Crevits (CD&V) opened a disciplinary probe against Aalter Mayor Pieter De Crem (CD&V) after audits revealed long-term illegal address registration practices targeting foreigners.
As VRT News reported, Flemish Minister of the Interior, Hilde Crevits (CD&V), has opened a disciplinary investigation against Aalter Mayor Pieter De Crem (CD&V) after serious irregularities were revealed by an official audit.
The Audit Flanders report confirms what the Pano documentary “Welkom in Aalter”, broadcast in March 2025, together with reporting from De Morgen, had already uncovered: getting a registered address in Aalter is much harder for foreigners than for Belgian citizens. Officials mentioned that the audit shows that legal rules for address registration were ignored systematically over a long period, despite repeated warnings from civil servants and supervisors.
“That is enough for me to start a disciplinary investigation against Mayor Pieter De Crem for gross negligence.”
Flemish Minister of the Interior Hilde Crevits (CD&V)
What did Aalter Mayor Pieter De Crem investigate in the address scandal?
The report also shows unequal treatment of people with foreign backgrounds, who were checked more often with housing inspections than Belgian residents. Minister Crevits described the findings as a
“flagrant disregard for legal provisions over a long period”,
stating that such negligence is enough to trigger a disciplinary procedure. The investigation will examine the mayor’s accountability and potential consequences.
“There are 2 options: suspension for a certain period or deposition.”
Flemish Minister of the Interior Hilde Crevits (CD&)
Flemish Minister of the Interior, Hilde Crevits (CD&V), has asked the provincial governor of East Flanders to start a disciplinary procedure against Aalter Mayor Pieter De Crem (CD&V). The governor will carry out a preliminary investigation and prepare a report. This report will help Crevits decide on possible sanctions. She stressed that she will act according to the law and her role as supervisory authority.
The issue started from Aalter’s enrollment policy, which made it harder for foreigners to register an official address. The policy was decided by the entire board of aldermen, although the audit points to De Crem’s personal responsibility. Crevits, who is in the same party as De Crem, did not comment on his future within CD&V.
Opposition voices have called for action. Mike Schauvliege (Green), Flemish faction leader and Aalter municipal council member, said the mayor should resign or be removed. He also asked Crevits to suspend De Crem provisionally, but the minister said this is not allowed under the law. Any measures will follow the completion of the disciplinary investigation.
Belgium has faced similar cases of discrimination in the past, particularly involving address registration and access to housing for foreigners. One case occurred in 1982, when French student Françoise Gravier applied to study at the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts in Liège.
She was asked to pay a special enrollment fee, called a “Minerval,” which was required only from foreign students. When she refused, she was denied admission and her study visa was revoked.
The European Court of Justice ruled in 1985 that this practice violated EU law, specifically provisions that prohibit discrimination based on nationality and guarantee equal treatment in services. In 2020, Belgium’s Collective against Islamophobia reported 108 complaints of discrimination, many related to housing.
