Belgian Prime Minister De Croo to return to local politics after election defeat

BRUSSELS

Belgium’s sitting prime minister announced on Wednesday that he would be running for mayor in his hometown of Brakel, after his party was dealt a significant defeat in general elections on June 9.

Alexander De Croo, a member of the Flemish liberal Open VLD party, will seek to become the mayor of the small town with a population of 15,000, located an hour west of the capital Brussels.

De Croo’s candidacy was revealed by his 86-year-old father, Herman De Croo, who is also affiliated with the Open VLD party.

Open VLD suffered a substantial defeat in the June 9 elections, finishing in ninth place in the federal parliament after garnering only 5.4% of votes.

In the Flemish parliament, the party secured 8.3% of the vote, and in the Brussels-Capital Region, it got 10.6%.

With local elections scheduled for Oct. 13, De Croo aims to reconnect with his political roots and serve his hometown community in a different capacity after his national-level political setback.

• Alexander De Croo
• Belgium prime minister