In a significant shift for Tervuren’s local politics, Flemish liberal Thomas Geyns, a 28-year-old lawyer, is set to become the new mayor, backed by the Flemish nationalist party N-VA. Geyns, who ran with the Voor Tervuren coalition of Flemish liberals and Catholics, will take over from current N-VA mayor Marc Charlier.
The new administration will see a division of key alderperson roles with Charlier now responsible for culture, mobility and permitting. Alderperson posts in Tervuren come with a gross salary of some €60,000 annually.
Geyns, whose new role comes with a mayoral salary of €100,000, appears to have clarified, to journalistsm that he will focus entirely on the job, “seven days a week”. His commitment would set him apart from his predecessors, marking a shift in the town hall practice.
Flemish Catholic Kristina Eyskens received just 50 fewer preference votes than Geyns. Eyskens will now continue as an alderwoman in the new administration. As the daughter of a former prime minister, there is speculation that Eyskens could also ascend to a national level, potentially taking up a seat in the federal parliament as a successor or opvolger.
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Voter turnout in 2024 was notably lower than 2018, dropping to 56%. That steep decline takes account of 2,928 eligible but unregistered non-Belgian Tervuren residents.
Voor Tervuren ran the best campaign. And their vote share only dipped slightly by 9.25%. In contrast, Groen saw a sharp 26.23% drop. Tervuren Unie + Volt fell by 20.5%. The biggest losses were sustained by the N-VA. That may be due to a higher abstention rate from Flemish nationalist voters, with many leaning toward Vlaams Belang in June but opting not to vote now non-compulsory October elections.
For the complete breakdown of election results and elected councilors, visit: https://okt24.vlaanderenkiest.be/#/gemeente/24104
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