Groen and Voor Gent reach agreement in Ghent

Groen (the Green Party) and Voor Gent, an alliance between the liberal Open VLD and socialist Vooruit led by mayor Mathias De Clercq, have reached an agreement to form a majority in Ghent. Members of all three parties will vote on the deal at congresses on Monday evening.

The Open VLD meeting is expected to be particularly contentious, as some members favour an alliance with right-wing N-VA over Groen. A previous meeting on Saturday revealed deep divisions within the party, with numerous voices raising doubts about the partnership with the Greens.

The coalition process has been marked by tension. A previous proposal to form a government between Voor Gent and N-VA was rejected by Vooruit members two weeks ago. Now, similar risks loom for the liberals, though only a simple majority is needed for Open VLD’s approval (whereas Vooruit requires a two-thirds majority).

The new agreement is said to be based on the initial draft with N-VA, with compromises made for Groen. As part of the arrangement, Vooruit and Groen would also share one alderman position through a rotation system, De Standaard writes. Open VLD would retain two aldermen roles, and De Clercq is set to continue as mayor.

If the deal falters due to liberal resistance, the initiative to lead coalition talks will shift to the N-VA, which may attempt to revive discussions with Declercq’s alliance.

^{#FlandersNewsService | Ghent major Mathias De Clercq © PHOTO JAMES ARTHUR GEKIERE}