Herwig Reynaert, political scientist at the University of Ghent, explains that this desire emanates from the liberals, of which Bart Somers (Open Vld) is the current Flemish minister in charge of local authorities: ” According to them, everyone should have the opportunity to vote, but it is not up to politicians to decide whether or not you should go to the polls. “
Bart Somers, mayor of Mechelen, has been pleading for years for the abolition of the voting obligation: when he was president of the Open Vld, he had already requested it during government negotiations. federal in 2007.
Encourage citizens to vote
According to Professor Reynaert, it is difficult to predict the impact of the abolition of the voting obligation in Flanders, since this has never happened before.
However, he is convinced that the campaign will be different: ” Candidates must convince their own electorate to vote. In municipalities where there is an absolute majority, voters risk staying at home rather than going to vote, because they would not see what their vote would change. Faced with this risk, the parties will therefore not be able to rest on their laurels. “
Before qualifying: Many countries do not oblige their citizens to go to the polls, it does not mean that they are banana republics. “