Jette municipal councillor Fouad Ahidar announced he will leave the Flemish socialist party Vooruit in a press release on Sunday.
"Today I am raising my voice to firmly and publicly denounce what can no longer be tolerated," he stated. "Society has changed, the party has evolved and I regret to say that the direction taken by the party no longer corresponds to my fundamental values of solidarity, justice, equality and freedom."
Ahidar, a member of Vooruit for over 20 years, criticised the party for favouring image over values and placed former party leader Conner Rousseau at the heart of the party’s unscrupulousness. "I am deeply shocked by the many blunders, the condemnations of racism and sexism, and by the way the party is led."
Rousseau resigned in November as a result of numerous racism and sexism scandals that have harmed the party’s reputation. Ahidar scathingly affirms that the party’s tardiness in distancing itself from Rousseau’s comments, which should have been a "major ethical upset", has done untold damage to its credibility. He also denounced the socialists' hardening stance on migration.
Breaking point
Ahidar’s career history spans chapters as a street worker and in immigration law. He was obliged to choose between the Brussels and Flemish parliaments in 2004 when he was elected to both. He opted for the former, of which he has been a member to this day. His portfolio has focused on housing, public cleanliness, social affairs, education and safety.
The local politician's relationship with his party has degraded considerably in recent times. He was expelled in 2022 when he voted against a ban on the slaughter of animals without stunning them first, going against party line. His comments last month which compared Israel’s actions in Gaza to genocide led to a public apology, while making an already thorny dynamic with Rousseau even less tenable.
He told Bruzz that he intends to run for regional elections in 2024, although it is unclear what political alignments this might entail. Nonetheless, he believes that leaving Vooruit is the right move. “I should have done this sooner."
