This week we meet Nicolas Van der Maren, future liberal mayor of Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve. On 13 October, the Impulsion C list (MR - Les Engagés) triumphed in a fierce duel against Ecolo, ending the long period of green leadership: 17 seats for “Impulsion C” and 9 seats for Ecolo (4 for the PS and 1 for a citizens' list), a configuration that guarantees an absolute majority for the Impulsion C list.
The absolute majority in Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve, a dream come true?
More than a dream, it was a goal, one we are very proud to have achieved after 24 years of hard work in opposition, with dedication and perseverance, but always with determination and in a constructive spirit. It is above all the recognition of this long-term work that I want to see in this result.
But as someone we all know, our President Georges-Louis Bouchez, puts it so well: an election victory is not a gift, it's a responsibility.
So what is your vision and that of your team for the next six years? What do you want to change as a priority in Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve?
In our case, the victory is unequivocal and undeniable; I quadrupled my 2018 score and got 1,300 more votes than the outgoing mayor. The weight of responsibility is all the greater as the victory is decisive, because it reflects the scale of the population's expectations, who are calling for real change. Georges-Louis is right, a victory is not a “gift”.
For the next 6 years, we want to humbly refocus on the core duties of a municipal authority (ensuring safety and public order, maintaining roads and public spaces, guaranteeing services to the population, etc.) before embarking on secondary policies that only flatter the egos of the politicians who initiate them. We want more pragmatic and less dogmatic policies. As for the challenges, there are many: safety, taxation, giving the centre of Ottignies a real town heart, setting up a “Dyle action plan” (to manage flooding), rebuilding trusting relationships with the City's strategic partners such as the University... There will be no shortage of work!
What is your favourite spot in your municipality?
I'd say my garden, for a moment of relaxation with my husband and my puppy... but there's also the restaurant “le coup de coeur” opposite the town hall, the main square in Céroux (one of the most beautiful in Walloon Brabant), the Musée L in Louvain-la-Neuve, the Le Vilar theatre, the Spott (our cultural centre)... in short, I love my town ;-)