TERVUREN — Town council will not take place in February due to a failure to send the official email invitation on time. The main agenda item was the appointment of approximately 60 board positions. Flemish liberal mayor Thomas Geyns (OpenVLD, Voor Tervuren) attributed the issue to a technical problem, while also blaming Tervuren Unie+Volt for refusing to approve an extraordinary council session.
For Serge Liesenborghs, faction leader of Tervuren Unie+Volt, the postponement presents an opportunity. “It provides extra time to ensure representation of Tervuren’s diverse population in the upcoming appointments,” he said. Tervuren is home to approximately 116 nationalities, with 44% of its residents being non-Belgian or of non-Belgian origin. And there’s an estimated 20-25% of French-speakers.
The rescheduled council meeting is now expected on Monday, March 10. But it is unlikely to alter the underlying dynamics. Geyns has made it clear he does not intend to work with Tervuren Unie. “Their vision is not inclusive,” he said last summer in Het Laatste Nieuws. That was while campaigning for office. His stance suggests a majority agreement may have been reached to exclude Tervuren Unie+Volt from board appointments. Instead all opposition-designated posts may have been allocated to Groen+ Vooruit.
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The issue of representation has been contentious in the past. In 2019, only one French-speaking representative—a member of Groen+—was appointed, a move that sparked controversy. As an opposition councilor at the time, Geyns accused the Flemish nationalist N-VA of “neglecting” Tervuren’s Flemish character by appointing the French-speaking representative to an inter-communal cultural board.
“What exactly are they achieving with this?” mayor Geyns asks.
Based on the 2019 appointments, Tervuren’s mayor and six alderpersons could secure 3-6 positions each. Loyal party councilors may get posts too. Positions may come with remuneration reaching €200-300 per monthly meeting for board posts at larger inter-communal firms.
The technical issue behind the delayed meeting stemmed from council officials not receiving an error message when the legally required email invitation failed to reach all 27 councilors. “The secretariat had no way of knowing that the agenda email had not been received,” Geyns explained, blaming Tervuren Unie+Volt for refusing to agree to “a simple IT fix.”
“What exactly are they achieving with this?” Geyns questioned. “Our town is now unable to complete key appointments in important organizations that play a crucial role in securing subsidies and investments for our community,” said the mayor.
Auteur: Dafydd ab Iago. © Artikel en foto’s zijn gelicentieerd © 2024 voor Tervuren+ onder de Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International licentie.
