Groen-Gangmaker is aiming for more than two seats with party leader Kris Swaegers (Boechout)

Groen-Gangmaker has appointed current councilor Kris Swaegers as party leader for the municipal elections. The party wants to win at least a third seat, which it missed by two votes in 2018.

The Boechout department of Groen has been in the majority continuously since 2007, just like coalition partners Pro Boechout-Vremde and CD&V. Since then, the number of votes for Groen-Gangmaker went from 13.74 percent to 10.4 percent in 2012 to 12.6 percent in 2018.

At the time, the party was two votes short of a third seat. “That was sour at the time. But we have shown that the two of us have achieved a lot. It is clear that we want to do better to influence policy even more,” says Kris Swaegers.

In 2012, she received 87 preferential votes from twelfth place on the list. Six years later this became 276 in second place. Now she can do it as party leader.

This legislature she is alderman for Spatial Planning, Housing, Environment, Energy, Sustainability and Climate. She sees the nature project in the Molenbeek Valley, the climate action plan and the opening of the shared depot with the bicycle library as great achievements.

Swaegers will be the twelfth successor to the House in the June federal elections. (fisp)