This week we head to Uccle to introduce you to a municipal councillor who is also a regional MP: Aurélie Czekalski.
Aurélie will be a candidate for the Brussels Region on the list led by David Leisterh.
Aurélie, you have been a municipal councillor in Uccle since 2018. How do you experience this ?
As a real enrichment, all as a team with the MR group! Meeting the people of Uccle, listening to them and responding to their requests is a wonderful experience. As chair of the Uccle Youth Service, I am proud to have launched the Totemus geocaching app, which allows people to discover Uccle, as well as having made events such as the Saint Nicolas drawing competition, the Easter egg hunt and the Uckel'Air festival permanent fixtures. Soon, a skatepark will be built. This is the concrete realisation of our programme and it responds to a real demand.
You are also a member of the police zone council, what is your role ?
First of all, I want to acknowledge all the work done by our police officers, their presence and their responsiveness. I have worked on the fight against squats and burglaries, which must be strengthened together with our Police force and by deploying local prevention partnerships (LPP). But also on drug issues and crisis management exercises.
At local level, which areas of responsibility are your favourites ?
Quality of life. That is the cornerstone of my political commitment. I use every lever available to defend the interests of the people of Uccle. I fought, among other things, to safeguard the Keyenbempt and to maintain the Parc de la Sauvagère. Moreover, the south of Brussels is often overlooked by the Brussels regional authorities. I have repeatedly raised the (long-awaited) development of Square des Héros, Avenue Winston Churchill, the securing of the roundabout on Avenue Winston Churchill, the creation of an underground car park at Place Vander Elst, as well as improving accessibility in southern Brussels (a fast connection between the tram and the future metro at Albert station) and finally, the opening of the Bois de la Cambre.
You are also an MP in the Brussels Regional Parliament. What are your main battles?
From the opposition, I managed to have a text on the greening of public buildings adopted unanimously. One of my main battles is accessibility, in all its forms, for people with disabilities: websites, public applications, public places… And finally, I am fighting to improve cleanliness and waste management in Brussels, but also so that everyone can walk around at any time of day, anywhere, without fear, because security is the first of all freedoms.
Finally, the famous tourist question ! If you were to recommend visiting Uccle, what would the highlights be ?
I'll name three. First, the Van Buuren Museum, a masterpiece of Art Deco. Then, Wolvendael Park, where you can grab a coffee on the terrace of the guinguette. Finally, the Cultural Centre of Uccle and, just a stone's throw away, the Maison des Arts, where a lovely “Courts” exhibition is on until 14 April !