Pascal Smet, former Brussels Minister of Planning, Heritage and Foreign Trade, has become the new leader of the Vooruit group in the Brussels Parliament, according to the Deputy Speaker, Guy Vanhengel.
The former Brussels Secretary of State resigned from his previous role in June amid outrage that he allowed an Iranian delegation and pro-war Russian officials to attend this year's Brussels Urban Summit.
Smet takes over from Fouad Ahidar, who announced on Sunday that he was leaving Vooruit. He criticised the party for "numerous blunders, convictions for racism and sexism," and "lamentable management."
"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," he stated on Monday.
Ahidar's position within the Brussels Parliament significantly weakened last month following his response to the Hamas attacks that struck Israel on 7 October.
