Sint-Gillis-Waas Coalition Collapses Days After Formation

The Belgian municipality of Sint-Gillis-Waas is facing yet another political crisis after alderman Greet Van Moer (Meerdangroen) withdrew from the newly formed majority coalition with N-VA and independent council member Jan Van Puyvelde, just days after the coalition was announced. The departure leaves the governing coalition with only 13 of 27 council seats, forcing it to operate as a minority administration.

Van Moer, who served as alderman for welfare, housing, global solidarity, sports, and biodiversity, said the coalition with Van Puyvelde was incompatible with her values and those of her party. “We were too quick to join,” she stated, according to VRT NWS. “Together with Meerdangroen, I distance myself from this coalition with Jan Van Puyvelde, because this is not compatible with my values and those of the party.”

A Fragile Majority From the Start

The political turbulence began in late July when Luc Lorie, an N-VA council member from Meerdonk, left the party faction to sit as an independent, dropping the N-VA-Meerdangroen coalition to 13 seats and triggering the initial crisis. According to VRT NWS, Mayor Koen Daniëls said at the time that the coalition would not seek a new majority and would rely on constructive opposition support.

That approach changed in early September when independent council member Jan Van Puyvelde agreed to join the coalition, restoring the majority to 14 of 27 seats. Van Puyvelde, who was the Vlaams Belang list leader in the 2024 municipal elections and a former chairman of the local party branch, was expelled from Vlaams Belang in January 2026 amid allegations including the plundering of the party treasury of approximately 10,000 euros. As part of the coalition agreement, Van Puyvelde was promised an alderman position from December 2028, replacing N-VA alderman Dirk Van Raemdonck.

Mayor Daniëls defended the decision, arguing that Van Puyvelde had consistently supported the coalition’s policies from the opposition. “Jan Van Puyvelde has his roots in the former Volksunie,” Daniëls said, according to HLN. “He never espoused the extreme positions of Vlaams Belang.”

Heated Council Session

The September 3 council meeting proved highly contentious. Mayor Daniëls accused opposition parties CD&V-Vooruit and Vlaams Belang of plotting to make the municipality ungovernable. CD&V council member Nicole De Moor, a former State Secretary, rejected the accusations forcefully. “This defies all imagination,” she said, according to HLN. “There were never negotiations with Vlaams Belang and the independent council members to take over the municipal government. These are pure lies.”

Opposition Reactions Divided

Van Moer’s decision to leave the coalition has drawn a range of responses from opposition parties. CD&V-Vooruit faction leader Maaike De Rudder expressed respect for the move. “We are glad they put their principles, values, and norms first,” she said. “Everyone can make a wrong choice, but it’s good that Greet came to the realization that this decision was the only right one.”

Vlaams Belang council member Mathias Wenselaers was sharply critical of the mayor. “Sint-Gillis-Waas is being made completely ridiculous by the lust for power of Mayor Koen Daniëls,” he said, according to VRT NWS. “Anyone who goes into business with Jan Van Puyvelde signs their own political death sentence.” Wenselaers has called for an extraordinary council meeting to clarify the political situation.

Luc Lorie, the independent council member whose departure triggered the crisis, described the situation as “pure show that is no longer about politics, but about positions.” He also acknowledged his central role in resolving the impasse, stating: “I don’t want to lead the municipality into an impasse and make it ungovernable. I don’t want to completely close that door, but this time I will sell my skin dearly.”

What’s Next for Sint-Gillis-Waas

With only 13 seats, the N-VA and Van Puyvelde face the challenge of governing as a minority. Lorie holds the key to resolving the crisis: he could resign his mandate, returning his seat to N-VA and giving the coalition 14 seats with Van Puyvelde, or he could rejoin the coalition himself. A so-called “monster coalition” between N-VA and CD&V-Vooruit is considered unlikely given their long-standing strained relationship.

Mayor Daniëls has emphasized the stakes for the municipality’s more than 20,000 residents. “They deserve a stable government that makes decisions and looks forward, not months of political chaos,” he said, according to HLN.

The coming weeks will be critical as parties maneuver to either restore a stable majority or force new political arrangements. The episode highlights the fragility of local coalitions built on narrow seat margins and the challenges of governing when personal and party values collide with the arithmetic of power.