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: Jean Spinette (Socialist Party)
Current coalition: PS-Ecolo
Number of seats on the council: 35
Population: 28,895 (Statbel)
Average income: €15,490 (Statbel)
Average cost of housing: The average price for a flat is €3,693/m2, while the average cost for a house is €3,253/m2 (Immoweb data)
1. Liste du Bourgmestre (PS - Vooruit)
Lead candidate: Jean Spinette (PS)
Number of candidates on the list: 35
Security: tackle street dealing by seeking police reinforcements, systematically close down businesses that tolerate drug trafficking, step up cooperation with the Federal Police, as well as a series of administrative measures.
Housing: build more social housing through a new social real estate agency, use public management rights to create a municipal rental compliance label to ensure safe and energy efficient housing, transform offices into housing.
Education and youth: extend number of schools benefiting from free childcare, make social welfare body (CPAS) pay for childcare and meals for single parents in precarious situations.
Cleanliness: increase number of clean-up crews on evenings and weekends and wet cleaning operations, bring in new anti-graffiti vehicles.
Full list programme here.
3. DéFI - Volt
Lead candidate: Charles Hosten (DéFI)
Number of candidates on the list: 9
Housing: monitor vacant properties to increase the supply of housing and combat property speculation, promote mixed-use and intergenerational housing, reconvert Saint-Gilles prison into accessible and inclusive housing project.
Social policy: support for single-parent families and isolated people in Saint-Gilles, ensure flexible and affordable childcare, set up training and work integration workshops, support the elderly, improve mobility for disabled people.
Local economy: support and revitalise local commerce in Saint-Gilles for a dynamic economy, promote community life and activity and supporting local businesses, promote commercial diversity.
Cleanliness and Security: tackle anti-social behaviour, renovate public infrastructure, support smart bins.
Full list programme here.
4. Ecolo-Groen
Lead candidate: Catherine Morenville (Ecolo)
Number of candidates on the list: 35
Mobility: widen pavements to make more room for bikes, strengthen public transport and car-sharing, improve children's safety, renovate Chaussée de Waterloo to improve mobility, implement 'Cool Move' mobility plan.
Youth: increase school and childcare places in the crèches network, provide free and shared school equipment.
Climate: plant more mini-parks, rain gardens, shady areas, tree-lined streets, particularly in Midi area, build first 'garden street' in Saint-Gilles, implement the 2024 Climate Plan, install more solar panels and shared surplus energy use.
Security: increase police patrols and community policing, invest in justice system, increase number of peacekeepers, prevent crime by taking action against poverty and raising awareness.
Housing: support social services, including better support for single mothers and homeless people, fight against rise in AirBnbs, empty houses and property speculation.
Full list programme here.
6. MR-Open VLD-Les Engagés
Lead candidate: Yannis Bakhouche (MR)
Number of candidates on the list: 35
Security: strengthen police presence, set up concrete measures of supervision and prevention, including deploying army.
Mobility: study alternatives to the removal of parking spaces, review parking tariffs.
Economy: promote Saint-Gilles as tourist attraction, enhance architectural heritage, promote museums and tourist districts, maintain a balanced budget while guaranteeing public services and avoiding new taxes.
Housing: boost social housing, transform Saint-Gilles prison into housing, adjust property taxes to help young and small household owners.
Full list programme here.
13. PTB-PVDA (Belgian Workers' Party)
Lead candidate: Loïc Fraiture
Number of candidates on the list: 35
Housing: boost social housing, including using Saint-Gilles prison, fight against large property developers, co-living and AirBnb.
Security: increase police presence and recruitment, reject the merging of police zones in Brussels.
Mobility: reject Good Move in favour of developing strong public transport, reject plans to redevelop Barrière de Saint-Gilles, create more parking spaces by tapping into unused spaces.
Education and youth: provide pupils with free school supplies, school meals, invest in new youth initiatives, increase support for youth associations and youth centres.
Full list programme here.
