Freya Van den Bossche, Belgium's former Deputy Prime Minister and current MP for Flemish socialist party Vooruit, hasn't ruled out former party leader Conner Rousseau as a potential top candidate for the 9 June elections.
"Conner is our star player, and you don't bench a star player," she stated in an interview published by De Zondag.
According to Van den Bossche, the decision rests with Rousseau and might take a few weeks. "We are giving him the time he needs," she said, acknowledging the challenging months the young Flemish politician has undergone following a series of scandals.
Vooruit's Freya Van Den Bossche pictured during a plenary session of the Flemish Parliament in Brussels, October 2022. Credit: Belga / Nicolas Maeterlinck
Rousseau departed from the Flemish Parliament in early December after resigning from the Flemish socialist leadership the previous month. He was ensnared in controversy following revelations of racist comments he made about the Romani people at a party in September.
"He deserves a second chance," Van den Bossche declared. "He resigned from Parliament and his party leadership. What more can he do? I will personally welcome him back with open arms. And I don't say this just because he's popular. I say it because I believe he has incredible political talent."
