Hasselt (Brussels Morning Newspaper): In Hasselt’s elections, Karolien Mondelaers (CD&V) received significant voter support, surpassing incumbent Steven Vandeput (N-VA). CD&V secured 11 seats, while N-VA/Open VLD won 13 seats.
On 20th October, people in Hasselt thought the Christian Democrats had the best chance to challenge the current mayor, Steven Vandeput from N-VA, with Karolien Mondelaers as their candidate. Derya Erdogan from the Hasselt Greens was disappointed, saying that the CD&V didn’t want to be mayor, just like the Vooruit party. In the recent elections, N-VA and Open VLD won 13 seats in the council, mostly held by liberals with 7 seats, while the Flemish nationalists got 6. The N-VA lost 6 council members compared to the 2018 elections.
What impact did voter support have on Mondelaers Mayoral Bid?
Voters truly believed that Mondelaers was a strong candidate for mayor, and they showed their support by voting for her. Derya Erdogan from the Green Party pointed out that this belief among the voters was significant. They felt that Mondelaers had the qualities needed for the position, which led to her receiving a lot of encouragement from the community. This reflects how important it is for candidates to connect with voters and how that connection can impact election results.
Last week, the CD&V party won 11 seats, and their leader, Karolien Mondelaers, got more votes than the current mayor, Steven Vandeput. Derya Erdogan from the Greens said that voters thought Mondelaers was a strong candidate for mayor, but she only wanted to help run the city. CD&V and Vooruit will each have 3 aldermen, while the N-VA/Open VLD group will have 4 aldermen and the mayor position. Erdogan was surprised that Mondelaers, who seemed popular, would now have a smaller role, and she noted that Vandeput was the only one wanting to be mayor. The Greens plan to be a constructive opposition in the city council for the next 6 years, along with Vlaams Belang and PVDA.
