Bart Dhondt, the party leader of Groen, has stated his intention to implement a “figurehead strategy” for the party.
Speaking on Sunday to VTM Nieuws, Dhondt acknowledged that while the party has many prominent figures, their parliament members need to become more well-known.
Dhondt was responding to the latest poll in which Groen secured 6.6% of the vote. He also noted that leading member Petra De Sutter may soon leave politics if elected as rector of UGent.
Having assumed the leadership late last year, Dhondt admitted he still needs to raise his own profile. He emphasised the importance of the “figurehead strategy” to increase visibility. “We have significant figures, but our parliament members need to become more famous,” he said, adding that there is potential for recognition. He cited Meyrem Almaci, Wouter De Vriendt, and Kristof Calvo as examples who became well-known over the past decade, though the latter two have recently left national politics.
Dhondt believes that Groen is “more relevant than ever as a party.” He argued that the government’s failure to address climate issues presents an opportunity for Groen. “There is work to be done to make this clearer,” he stated. Dhondt asserted that in the previous government, Groen was often on the defensive and failed to highlight the benefits of initiatives such as wind farms for reducing energy bills. “We need to be much more assertive about our positions,” he concluded.
