Antwerp’s councilor for Social Affairs, among other things, Tom Meeuws (53) will retire from politics with immediate effect. His party Vooruit announced this on Sunday evening. Current municipal councilor and former local department chairwoman Tatjana Scheck will succeed Meeuws on the council of aldermen.
In an initial response via Vooruit, Meeuws notes that he can no longer sacrifice his ‘work force and zest for life to politics as it is practiced today’, and is therefore quitting. “I’m quitting as alderman and municipal councilor because I’m tired,” he says. ‘And I’m also a bit tired. In recent weeks I felt my energy decreasing.’
Vooruit says it regrets Meeuws’ decision, but also respects it. “We are grateful to Tom for his efforts on the board over the past five years,” Vooruit Antwerpen said. ‘It is under his policy that social society was put back on the map in the city and that Antwerp took its place at the head of the pack in climate ambitions in a socially just manner. As alderman for the environment, Tom worked tirelessly for a more liveable city.’
Municipal councilor Tatjana Scheck (49) is now being nominated to the party board to succeed Meeuws as alderman. That decision is expected to be made official soon. In addition to aldermen Jinnih Beels (as party leader) and Karim Bachar, Scheck must also become one of the figureheads of the election campaign for October.
Tom Meeuws had only been an alderman in Antwerp since 2018, following he, together with Jinnih Beels, had guided the then sp.a – now Vooruit – back into the city council following an absence of one legislature. Meeuws has been politically active since 2016 and initially set up a cartel (‘Samen’) between sp.a and Groen. When it came to light that Meeuws may have made serious mistakes when he was director of De Lijn Antwerp (2013-2015), he wanted to step aside, but the local branch of sp.a convinced him to participate in the 2018 election campaign. to participate. Groen then gave up the collaboration. Ultimately, Meeuws would not be prosecuted in 2019. At that time he had already joined the city council.
As alderman, Meeuws was responsible for Social Affairs, Poverty Alleviation, Community Development, Environment, Religious Services and Social Economy. He was also chairman of the Special Committee for Social Services, the former OCMW. If Tatjana Scheck is indeed appointed as his successor, she will in principle take over all those powers. Tatjana Scheck was already a municipal councilor and is also a celebrated violinist. From 2020 to 2022 she was also chairman of the local branch of the Socialists.
