Tag: Politics

Romantic Boat Rides Fade Away at Bootjeshuis

TERVUREN — Remember that romantic boat ride with your sweetheart at the Bootjehuis?
Those days are probably gone for good if town grandees are to be believed. But while the paddle boats won’t be making a comeback, Tervuren is on the hunt for a restaurant-savvy tenant to breathe new life into the iconic lakeside spot. You’ll need at least €1,200 a month to spare until 2065? And €163,000 for a serious makeover.

Town grandees get coveted boardroom seats

TERVUREN — Mayor Thomas Geyns’ Flemish liberal and Catholic alliance (Voor Tervuren) gained coveted boardroom positions at a contentious council meeting. Nationalist N-VA also secured a respectable tally of posts. And even the Flemish progressives, Groen+Vooruit, were granted some representation.

Wolf Returns to Tervuren

TERVUREN – After nearly two centuries, the wolf is making a long-awaited return. For years, only the name Wolvenweg served as a silent reminder of the top predator’s former presence in Tervuren. But now, change is on the horizon in the great dark forest.

Cyclists petition return of Carrefour bike parking

TERVUREN – Cyclists in Tervuren have launched a petition calling for the reinstatement of bike racks in front of the local Carrefour. The ten-space bicycle parking area on Hoornzeelstraat was abruptly disappeared in late February to make way for a car parking space. Explaining his decision, Flemish liberal mayor Thomas Geyns says convenient car parking is vital for local business.

No Email, No Tervuren Town Council

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.

Let’s go: Tervuren’s schools open pre-registration

TERVUREN – Over half of the kids at Tervuren’s nursery schools speak another language than Dutch at home. That highlights the high quality of leafy Tervuren’s schools among the town’s 44% non-Belgians, despite stiff competition from the British School of Brussels, Montessori, Courtyard, ISF Tervuren, not to mention the European school and Deutsche Schule.

Mayor scraps popular Carrefour bike parking

TERVUREN – Mayor Thomas Geyns ordered workers to remove the popular bike parking in front of the smaller Carrefour. The move creates two extra car parking spots on the busy Hoornzeelstraat. Convenience car parking is crucial for local business, the Flemish liberal mayor says. This really feels like a punch in the stomach, say local cyclists.

Tervuren clarifies language rules for shopkeepers

Town council turned briefly to language policy at a recent meeting. This followed a complaint regarding a menu presented in Dutch, but also with separate French and English versions. The issue sparked a discussion on maintaining the town’s Dutch-speaking identity while embracing multilingualism.

No Tervuren ice-skating this winter. What to know…

In Belgium, mayoral duties can involve dispatching police in freezing conditions to enforce the ban on walking, skating, or playing on ice surfaces. Despite the rule, when ice last graced Tervuren’s lakes, numerous prominent locals were seen flouting the mayor’s directives, turning the lakes into a clandestine playground.

Soup at official opening of Tervuren’s cycle bridge

Tervurenaars, too, are invited to the inauguration of the 77.5-meter-long bridge over the Vier-Armen crossroad. The inauguration takes place on Thursday, December 19, from 14:30 to 18:00. There’s free soup, non-alcoholic mulled wine for cyclists, and a “surprise” gadget to make you stand out on the bridge and during the dark winter months.

Tervuren’s tech road safety expert

The transformative power of technology in promoting road safety was an essential part of Geert Van Der Linden’s keynote lecture on Thursday 21 November. Geert, from Tervuren, works for the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport.

Tervuren’s battle for the €100k mayor’s job

In Tervuren, two candidates are competing for the job of mayor, worth €100,000 per year. The ultimate decision isn’t solely in the hands of Tervuren’s 14,305 voters. The real question is which candidate — Flemish nationalist Marc Charlier or Flemish liberal Thomas Geyns — can secure the best deal with Groen’s top candidates in terms of key posts and policy agreements.

Congolese commemorate their lost in Tervuren

In a stark reminder of Belgium’s colonial past, over 250 Congolese were forcibly brought to Tervuren for the International Exhibition held from May to November 1897. Displayed as if they were part of a human zoo, seven of them died during the wet summer of 1897. A commemoration honored their graves.

Tervuren talks politics on Thursday 3 October

Ahead of local elections, you have three opportunities to hear Tervuren politicians and new MEP Anna Strolenberg in action this week on Thursday, 3 October. The trio of debates in Tervuren, held in the lead-up to the local elections, cover youth issues, town council policies, and integration in Tervuren.