2023-11-07 16:12:11
Former president of the Open VLD, Gwendolyn Rutten, succeeds Bart Somers as Flemish Minister of Internal Affairs, Administrative Affairs, Integration and Equal Opportunities. This information was confirmed Tuesday evening within the party.
Bart Somers unexpectedly announced on Monday that he was resigning from his post as Flemish minister. He will resume his functions as mayor of Mechelen.
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During the day on Tuesday, we learned that the succession race pitted the President of the Senate, Stephanie D’Hose, once morest the Flemish MP Gwendolyn Rutten. The choice fell on the latter. Gwendolyn Rutten will speak to the press this Tuesday evening at 8 p.m.
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The decision of the party leadership and Gwendolyn Rutten herself is surprising. Last month, she was once more mentioned as a candidate to succeed Vincent Van Quickenborne as federal Minister of Justice. The position was finally awarded to Paul Van Tigchelt, following which, on October 22, the current mayor of Aarschot announced that she was leaving national politics. In a lengthy post on social media, she wrote that she felt she had been treated disrespectfully.
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