Sint-Truiden (The Brussels morning Newspaper): FRIS! is a new citizen movement in Sint-Truiden focused on fairness and equality. Founded by ex-ProTrudo members, it aims to address local issues and promote inclusive policies.
FRIS! is one of two new citizen movements that have come up recently. It was created by people from the old political group ProTrudo, which included Carl Nissens. However, Carl Nissens has now joined CD&V, causing a split in the group. The other members of ProTrudo started FRIS! to make sure everyone in Sint-Truiden is treated fairly. This new group wants to tackle issues of fairness and equality for all the people in the city, focusing on making policies that include everyone. Their formation shows a change in political strategy, showing they care about local community issues and want fair treatment for all citizens.
How are new citizen movements FRIS! and WOW aiming to transform politics in Sint-Truiden?
Rudi De Cock, one of the founders, says that in Sint-Truiden, the usual left, right, or center politics are causing problems. When one group is in charge, they help some people, and when another group takes over, they help different people. This favoritism makes people unhappy, and FRIS! wants to change that with good ideas. They want to be a project that helps Sint-Truiden, focusing on the city, neighborhoods, and all residents, with an open mind and a promise to treat everyone equally.
Marin Ghys, the leader of the WOW list, expressed disappointment about not being able to connect with certain groups or individuals. His statement reflects a feeling of missed opportunities for collaboration or support in their political efforts. It suggests that there were hopes for building alliances or working together towards common goals, but those connections didn’t happen. Ghys believe that coming together could have led to positive changes or progress in their initiatives.
The citizen party WOW, led by Marijn Ghys, has announced its list of candidates and aims to bring fresh ideas to Sint-Truiden after facing many challenges in the last six years. They want to move on from the past and improve the city by focusing on the well-being of its residents with a positive outlook. Ghys is surprised that another new citizens’ movement has started and thinks it’s a shame they didn’t connect with WOW, as they could have worked well together. Still, he wishes everyone trying to make a difference in Sint-Truiden good luck.
