PVDA-PTB general secretary Peter Mertens on the party’s local election results
The Workers’ Party of Belgium (PVDA-PTB) is making progress in the three regions of Belgium: Flanders, Brussels, and Wallonia. In Flanders, despite the abolition of compulsory voting and an unprecedented smear campaign, we achieve 20% of the votes in Antwerp. This is a historic result in the largest city of Flanders.
In the working class municipality of Zelzate, we also exceed 20%, and the progressive ‘Coalition of the Future’ between the PVDA-PTB and the Flemish social-democrats of Vooruit are gaining votes. In Vilvoorde and Mechelen, we triple our number of elected representatives, and in Genk, we double it. In cities like Ostend and Aalst, we win our first ever elected representative, as well as in Ronse, Boom, Asse, Mortsel, Dilbeek, Heist-op-den-Berg, and Halle.
In the Brussels Capital Region, in Molenbeek we secure 22%, and in Forest, 21%, which makes progressive coalitions now possible. In Sint-Gillis, we become the second-largest party with 24.4%, and for the first time, we enter the municipal councils in Jette and Etterbeek, with scores exceeding 10%.
In Wallonia, we perform very strongly in Herstal with over 31%, and in Seraing, with 26%. In the provincial capitals of Liège and Charleroi, the PVDA-PTB gains 2% and achieves 18%, while in La Louvière, we reach 19.4%. In Mouscron, we make our debut and immediately become the second-largest party with 20%. We also win our first representatives in Tubize, Binche, Châtelet, Fleurus, Sambreville, and Ath.
With these results combined, we gain 50% more local representatives than in 2018. Our party now has 258 local representatives, whom I, as general secretary, would like to warmly congratulate. Best of luck! We will continue building step by step towards a social alternative on the ground.
