Elsinore

Ixelles is one of the most beautiful, but also one of the most expensive municipalities in Belgium to live in. There is great inequality and due to rising rent and housing prices, life in the municipality is becoming unaffordable for more and more people.

Vooruit strives for an Ixelles for all Ixelles. This means that we also involve the many non-Belgian residents in local politics. And that we motivate them to use their right to vote. To this end, we conducted an ‘I Vote Where I Live’ campaign and we are convinced of trilingual (NL-FR-EN) communication to the Ixelles.

An Ixelles for everyone also means that there must be better service in Dutch from the municipality. At the counter, but also in education. We are a driving force behind the first Dutch-speaking municipal school in Ixelles, which will be built in 2024. The Dutch-speaking culture and community benefits from the proper functioning of the Ixelles community centre and the Sans Souci library, which are explicitly open to speakers of other languages.

Gerard Oosterwijk

Elena Gil Puchau

Elena moved to Belgium in 2011 and feels completely at home in Ixelles, where she enjoys living. However, she realises that inequality is one of the biggest challenges in the neighbourhood. As a CPAS member, she is committed to creating equal opportunities for all Ixelles residents so that everyone can live with dignity with the support of the municipality.

Isaac Defise

Isaac is 26 years old and has lived very happily in Ixelles since his student days. What started as a place to study has become his permanent home, a neighbourhood where the lively squares, the leafy Bois de la Cambre, and the mix of people inspire him every single day. Today, Isaac works in the office of Federal Minister Rob Beenders, where he contributes to policies that protect people and ensure everyone has equal opportunities. At the same time, he remains strongly involved in local life in Ixelles. He is committed to a welcoming, inclusive municipality where everyone can feel at home, from young families to students and the elderly. For Isaac, Ixelles is the perfect place where urban dynamism and human connection go hand in hand.

Maggie Coulthard