Ecolo leaders assessed the results of Sunday’s elections, highlighting a "positive rebound" since 9 June, but also critiqued a perceived targeting by right-wing parties.
On Sunday, the Greens experienced significant losses in some municipalities, while holding steady or even improving in others. Compared to the June debacle, the party fared better overall. However, it quickly became clear they would lose all their mayoralties and be excluded from numerous majorities.
"We are proud of our campaign. Contrary to predictions, we didn’t disappear on Sunday; we maintained our presence in most municipalities," said co-president Marie Lecocq after a party meeting. Her colleague, Samuel Cogolati, added: "Our October results are significantly better than in June when everyone predicted disaster."
Lecocq criticised a right-wing coalition formed on 9 June. "This MR-Engagés axis moved against the voters' signal, and it seems plans were made before the election, leading to our exclusion from majorities despite good scores."
During their meeting, the Greens learned that Christos Doulkeridis was ousted from his mayorship in Ixelles despite leading the vote, in favour of an alliance between MR, Les Engagés, and the PS, Ecolo's former partner. In Brussels, the PS allied with MR and Les Engagés, sidelining Ecolo into opposition. A similar PS-MR coalition is likely in Liège.
"We long believed their claims of being a bulwark against the right. Today, we see they opted not to form progressive majorities," Lecocq remarked.
On 13 July, Ecolo elected new co-presidents who prioritised "popular ecology." Cogolati expressed commitment to rebuilding responsibly amidst the political shift to the right in Brussels and Wallonia, acknowledging targeted hostility against their candidates. "We must look inward, rebuild based on people’s priorities, and continue engaging directly with voters," he said.
Although the need for reconstruction is acknowledged, some greens are sceptical about the leadership’s satisfaction with the results. "There is a sense of unease," one member confided. "It seems there was no strategy to strengthen our strongholds."
"It's good to highlight the positives, but these results are nothing to celebrate," another member noted. "We are left with very few majorities. Elections are a two-part process, and we are now without a single mayor in Brussels or likely in Wallonia."
