N-VA head piece Elke Sleurs steps up as a party leader in Ghent. Her successor is the 38-year-old Anneleen Van Bossuyt.
Sleurs recently announced her departure as a list drawer at the New Year's reception of N-VA. She said that she made the decision after a difficult period and immediately announced her successor. That is 38-year-old Anneleen Van Bossuyt, now European member of parliament for N-VA.
"It's been tough decision . I'm not going to hide that it's hard for me, "Sleurs said. 'Politics is a matter for people, persons and characters. And characters can collide. "
The departure comes after months of internal wrangling in the Ghent section of the Flemish nationalists. Chamber chairman Siegfried Bracke had to leave the list pull to Sleurs last February. Last month it became known that Sleurs Bracke had placed an ultimatum : he would have the penultimate place on the list, or nothing.
However, the national party top was convinced that the list was stronger with the well-known Bracke as a list pusher. Bracke also himself did not agree and threatened to resign . The national party leadership then appointed a mediator to keep the peace.
Sleurs approached Van Bossuyt, in his own words, to break the deadlock on list formation at N-VA Gent. It is not yet clear whether Bracke will still get the list pusher place, as the party wants.
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