Saliha Raiss (Vooruit) was sworn in as a member of the Molenbeek-Saint-Jean municipal council on Wednesday.
Her candidacy, approved by secret ballot, received the support of 20 councillors while 16 voted against. One vote was declared invalid.
Mrs Raiss will replace Jef Van Damme, who has taken up a senior position at the Flemish Community Commission.
Her appointment was preceded by controversy due to the refusal of the Mouvement Reformateur (MR), despite being in the majority alongside the Flemish Socialists, to support her since she wears an Islamic headscarf.
MR leader Georges-Louis Bouchez had described the wearing of a "faith symbol" such as the headscarf as incompatible with the neutrality imposed by the exercise of an executive function.
A very large part of the opposition – Ecolo, PTB and les Engagés – gave their support to the alderwoman by agreeing to sign her nomination paper.
Following the vote and the swearing-in, she received expressions of support from their representatives, who all pointed a finger at the MR, and in particular Bouchez, accusing him of using Molenbeek for electoral “positioning.”
