TERVUREN — Political tensions against Tervuren Unie+Volt prevented town council from attributing even one of 50 boardroom posts to a non-Belgian. The most sought-after positions went to mayor Thomas Geyns’ Flemish liberal and Catholic alliance, Voor Tervuren. The nationalist N-VA secured a respectable tally of posts. And the Flemish progressives, Groen+Vooruit, were recompensed for siding with the N-VA and Voor Tervuren.
Delayed by two weeks, the contentious town council meeting finally met to allocate 50 or so boardroom posts. The mayor opened the meeting pointing the finger at IT issues and Tervuren Unie+Volt rather than someone forgetting to push send. “Unfortunately, the four ‘constructive’ opposition municipal council members of Tervuren Unie+Volt refused to grant their approval [Ed. necessary for an urgent meeting],” Geyns told his 2200 Facebook followers.
Now you’re lying, says mayor Geyns in an evident lapse of Facebook etiquette.
One of the four Tervuren Unie+Volt councilors—a French speaker with near-perfect Dutch—challenged the mayor’s explanation on Facebook. “Now, you’re lying,” mayor Thomas Geyns swiftly responded. His remark, a break from Tervuren’s typical political decorum, set off a wave of reactions.
As tensions flared, several of Geyns’ 2,200 Facebook followers seized the moment, steering the debate towards communal bickering. Walen Buiten, Walen failliet was one of the more fiery outbursts left by commentators to adorn mayor Geyns’ Facebook page.
Given the tension directed against Tervuren Unie+Volt, town council was unsurprisingly unable to attribute even a single non-paid boardroom post to a non-Belgian. And the only French speaker represents Voor Tervuren — not Tervuren Unie+Volt — and comes from one of Belgium’s oldest and most noble families. Expanding representation to non-traditional groups in Tervuren proved impossible. That’s despite 44% of residents now being of non-Belgian origin.
Leading boardroom seat holders for 2025-2029 will be posted on Tervuren’s official list of mandates. Appointees to inter-communal board positions can earn between €200 and €350 per meeting. But not all seats come with financial compensation. And those seeking substantial earnings must not only attend meetings, read reports and prepare, but also secure at least five paid positions.
Newly selected mandate holders will need to communicate a full list of their paid positions to Belgium’s Court of Audit. Alderpersons are required to report their €59,881 gross annual salary, along with any additional paid roles. Councilors must follow similar disclosure rules. breaking with tradition, Geyns, who earns €99,801 annually, will have a more straightforward filing. The 28-year-old Flemish liberal has pledged to focus solely on his mayoral duties.
Bickering also followed the allocation, in 2019, of an unpaid board seat to a councilor with a “French-speaking profile”. Ironically, then-opposition councilor Geyns accused former N-VA mayor Jan Spooren of “neglecting” Tervuren’s Flemish character. Now, as governor of Flemish Brabant, Spooren reminds local businesses—such as Tervuren’s renowned bakery, De Kimpe—of their language duties. And Spooren’s wife, Annemie Spaas, has assumed the role of Tervuren alderperson for Flemish identity.
On a less contentious note, the council approved a ‘guidance’ document for negotiating a contract to take over the park’s historic Boat House, sadly closed since 2016. The Bootjeshuis has occasionally been used by local artists, notably for exhibitions during Tervuren’s Artiestentoer that this year takes place from Thursday 29 May till Sunday 1 June 2025. And councilors even found time to debate the sudden removal of bicycle parking in front of the Carrefour in the town center.
Author: Dafydd ab Iago. © Article and photos are licensed © 2024 for Tervuren+ under the Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International license.
