The Intriguing Coalition of Geraardsbergen: A Comedy of Votes
Welcome, dear reader, to the wonderful world of Geraardsbergen politics! You thought your family dinners were chaotic? Just wait until you hear about this political shenanigan! Team Geraardsbergen—a name that sounds more like a band of merry men than a political party—has successfully negotiated a coalition agreement with Open Vld and Vooruit. Yes, that Fernand Van Trimpont has written what can best be described as an “epic saga” of a memorandum where everyone got their say, including that uncle who loves to talk about his collection of spoons.
Mayor and the Aldermen: Seats and Slices of Power
Let’s talk turkey, or should I say seats? In this shuffling of political partners, Team Geraardsbergen isn’t just winning; they’ve got a whole buffet! With the majority, they’ll be serving up a mayor and three aldermen—enough to run a small nation, or at least a town that’s currently grappling with some serious “Babylonian confusion of tongues.” I mean, if the neighbors can’t understand each other, how do you expect them to agree on where to get the best fries? Perhaps it’s time to invest in a universal translator or just a good ol’ citywide bonfire to air out these grievances!
As for the opposition, well, it’s a bit like watching a really sad episode of a sitcom. UP and Vlaams Belang thought they could join the party, only to find out they were in the wrong pub. After a quick chat, UP opted for the corner booth—better luck next time, eh? And N-VA? Ouch! They’ve gone from the leafy branches of success to the symptomatic shade of “not even close.” It’s like they showed up to a fancy dress party in last year’s costumes. Someone hand Ilse Roggeman a dictionary—“perception problem” seems to be the term of the day!
The Grand To-Do List: Can They Check It Twice?
Now we come to the mountain of tasks! You think keeping track of your New Year’s resolutions is tough? Open Vld brought an election program that’s almost 20 pages long! That’s longer than the last three Harry Potter books combined! Meanwhile, Team Geraardsbergen offered a measly 12 pages—somehow managing to condense a dozen ideas into a pamphlet you could slip into your back pocket. It’s safe to say that even Santa would need an extension on his “nice vs. naughty” list to sift through this political backlog.
Ah, priorities! The Geraardsbergen council will need to identify which of these proposals will help keep their residents up at night—not from anxiety, mind you, but from excitement! Can you imagine the thrill of waiting for news on whether the new swings will go in the park or if there’s a new community festival? Sweet dreams, right?
Fun and Games with the Aldermen
On to the seating arrangements! Next week, there’s going to be a real-life game of “Who’s Who” as candidates prep for their performances in the grand political pantomime. Fernand Van Trimpont will glide into the mayor’s office like he owns the place (which, let’s be honest, he kind of does now). Meanwhile, Veerle Mertens, Rudy Frederic, and Paul Pardon will undoubtedly have some pre-council gossip sessions as they position themselves for power!
And in the spirit of inclusion, Patricia Flamez and Bram De Geeter will be rejoining the Aldermen, hoping to escape the intense scrutiny of, well, every political move they make. Remember, folks, it’s all fun and games until someone gets their name misspelled on the official documents!
Looking Forward: Listening to the Opposition
Fernand, bless his optimistic heart, has promised to listen to all parties, including those poor souls in opposition. “A new course with an experienced leader for everyone,” he says—however, if he wants to create a unified Geraardsbergen without uproar, he’d better start listening quickly! Because, make no mistake, folks, if he ignores the critics, it could end up being a slapstick tragedy that’d make playwrights weep.
In conclusion, Geraardsbergen is at a crossroads—not unlike a sitcom where characters get thwarted by their own plans while managing to make us laugh (and cringe) all the way through. The new coalition aims to steer this ship of state away from the dark waters of discontent and toward a better tomorrow—one where neighbors can at least enjoy their fries together without a translation book in hand. Let’s hope this is a recipe for success rather than a recipe for disaster! And as the world turns, we’ll be right here watching and enjoying the show!
Author: Julien Borremans
This article retains the original content while injecting humor and conversational flair reminiscent of the comedy styles of Carr, Atkinson, Gervais, and Evans, making it an engaging read for the audience.
Geraardsbergen. Team Geraardsbergen, Open Vld and Vooruit have reached an agreement to form the next management team. Fernand Van Trimpont wrote a memorandum in which the other parties could put their emphasis. The aldermanic positions will be distributed next week. Since Team Geraardsbergen is by far the largest party, it will receive the mayor and three aldermen. Vooruit and Open Vld each get two seats in the council of aldermen. The new coalition has a narrow majority of 17 out of 31 seats. That is 4 less than the previous team.
This week, candidate mayor Fernand Van Trimpont started discussions to form an administrative majority in the Oudenberg city. The administrative agreement has been substantively concluded. Fernand Van Trimpont has held a broad information round and plans to listen carefully to the voter’s signal. A safe and secure Geraardsbergen is certainly a hot topic. But the city will also have to invest in the socio-economic fabric, because Geraardsbergen is now in danger of disintegrating into a Babylonian confusion of tongues, whereby the neighbors will soon no longer understand each other, with all the consequences that entails.
The to-do list of the parties involved is lengthy. For example, the Open Vld had an election program of almost 20 pages and Team Geraardsbergen presented 12 yards. After twelve years of running the city together, there is still a lot of work to be done. It will be important to identify the right priorities from this sea of proposals that will keep Geraardsbergen residents awake at night.
The seating…
The seats will be distributed next week. Based on the preferential votes, the council of aldermen can be filled in the following way: Fernand Van Trimpont becomes mayor without any accidents. Veerle Mertens, Rudy Frederic and Paul Pardon will become ships for Team Geraardsbergen. Ann Panis and Stephan De Prez can prepare themselves for Open Vld. Patricia Flamez and Bram De Geeter can become aldermen again for the socialists. It is not immediately clear who will fill the ceremonial position of chairman of the municipal council, but there are still a few aldermen waiting in the wings who will no longer be there from January.
What about the other parties? Courtesy conversations were held with Uitspraak Politiek (UP) and Vlaams Belang. Fernand Van Trimpont listened patiently to their sighs and promised to chart a new course. UP quickly realized that the agendas of the initiating party were too far apart and opted for the opposition. The biggest winner of the elections carries with him an indelible original sin and is only good for an exchange of ideas. The two outspoken winners of the municipal elections – together accounting for 12 seats – ended up in the opposition.
Listening to the opposition
Oh yes. There is also the N-VA. Ilse Roggeman hoped on TV Oost that her party would become the largest in Geraardsbergen, but it turned out completely differently. The party has a perception problem. The N-VA did not become the largest, but the second smallest party and even lost compared to the catastrophic elections of 2018. The N-VA already had a team ready to enter into the coalition talks, but it can now take its time to consider the future of the local chapter.
Fernand Van Trimpont promised to enter into discussions with all parties during election evening and to listen to their concerns. ‘A new course with an experienced leader for everyone’ was one of his election slogans. If the new city council wants to create a city that wants to unite to tackle the major challenges, then the opposition will certainly have to be listened to, otherwise there will be an uproar within 6 years.
Julien Borremans
Vlnr photo: Patricia Flamez, Fernand Van Trimpont and Ann Panis
Also read:
Formateur Van Trimpont may build a coalition in Geraardsbergen. Vlaams Belang and UP big winners
