Belgium's 2024 local elections are around the corner. Brussels residents will vote to elect their local council on Sunday 13 October, and indirectly, their new mayor (bourgmestre in French or burgemeester in Dutch).
Knowing how the local election list system works is key to understanding who is running. Find all you need to know about lists here. Our practical guide will tell you everything you need to know before the big day.
Some numbers below are missing. This is because there are a total of 13 lists in Brussels, but not every list appears in every commune.
Current mayor: Benoît Cerexhe (Les Engagés)
Current coalition: Les Engagés-Ecolo-DéFi
Number of seats on the council: 35
Population: 42,600 (Statbel)
Average income: €22,519 per year (Statbel)
Average cost of housing: The average price for a flat is €3,997/m2, while the average cost for a house is €3,949/m2 (Immoweb)
1. Citizens-PS-Vooruit
Lead candidate: Cécile Vainsel (PS)
Number of candidates on the list: 35
Citizen Participation: establish public consultation mechanisms for all major municipal projects, restore role of citizen advisory councils, involve residents in "participatory budget" spending, and develop the commune's six-year programme.
Security: make a group municipal purchase of security devices (such as armoured doors, alarms and exterior lighting) for residents who have carried out a security audit of their home, and make social housing more secure.
Mobility: limit through traffic and keep speed limits at 30km/h, improve cycling infrastructure and drive forward public transport projects, adjust parking permit system to favour local residents rather than "buffer cars", support a court action aimed at limiting overflights.
Climate: public maintenance programme for all municipal buildings including new thermal insulation, zero waste policy for all municipal events and organisations receiving subsidies from the municipality, reduce concrete surface area in favour of vegetation, and plant more fruit trees, perennial plants and wild flowers while eradicating invasive plants.
Full list programme here.
2. DéFI l'Alternative
Lead candidate: François De Smet
Number of candidates on the list: 35
Citizen Participation: establish a 'Citizen Participation and Consultation' department to organise and manage public consultations on all public projects, participatory budget to give residents the chance to present projects for the commune.
Governance: ensure a balanced budget, keep taxes low and "prudently" manage municipal assets, including focusing spending on renovating assets.
Well-being: introduce community initiatives focused on education, culture, sports, and youth, as well as social actions relating to housing, local employment and animal protection, prioritise the issue of overflight noise pollution by banning nighttime departures and landings at Brussels Airport.
Atmosphere: preserve residential character of commune and ensure public spaces are redeveloped in an "attractive and sustainable way", maintain an "effective police presence" in the commune and fight against extremism and discrimination, promote sustainable development and energy savings initiatives.
Full list programme here.
3. Liste Bourgmestre (Les Engagés-MR-Open VLD)
Lead candidate: Benoît Cerexhe (Les Engagés)
Number of candidates on the list: 35
Atmosphere: preserve the green and residential character of the commune, including by managing planning approvals to avoid excessive density and redeveloping public spaces such as Place des Maïeurs and outside the town hall, increase space to plant more trees and public vegetable gardens, and reduce rubbish bags on the streets.
Finances: maintain "exemplary" management of public funds by strictly controlling debt and building up financial reserves, while remaining the second-lowest taxed municipality in the region.
Mobility: promote sustainable transport without "discriminating" against motorists, increase frequency of public transport, and include cycle lanes in road redevelopments without reducing parking, put pressure on Brussels Airport to halt nighttime flights and limit overall number of flights.
Community: create community platforms for volunteering and providing "intergenerational" community aid, bring locals together at community events as well as sports and shopping hubs, enhance local policing and increase night-time patrols.
Full list programme here.
4. Ecolo-Groen
Lead candidate: Florentine Röell (Ecolo)
Number of candidates on the list: 35
Climate: implement the climate plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030, and achieve carbon neutrality for public buildings by 2040, zero waste policy at the municipality, introduce measures to encourage recycling and composting.
Atmosphere: create spaces for social interaction by closing certain streets at weekends or setting up guinguette socio-cultural places, draw up a safety plan for every neighbourhood to identify priorities for local police, intensify actions to combat noise and environmental pollution, including demanding an end to night flights at Brussels Airport.
Mobility: "rebalance" mobility investment in favour of alternatives to the private car, and develop cycle/tram/bus/metro hubs to encourage a modal shift from car to sustainable modes of transport.
Citizen Participation: adapt the schedule of municipality services to allow people to access them outside of office hours, create a municipal ombudsman to deal with complaints regarding local administration, develop "participatory budget" to fund projects initiated by residents or neighbourhood associations.
Full list programme here.
