| artikel in Parliament Magazine 11/06/2006 |
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| 27-06-2006 | |
 Op 11 juni werd er een artikel over mij en Vanessa Cuevas gepubliceerd in Parliament Magazine omtrent de lokale verkiezingen en de rol die de expats zouden kunnen spelen. Europe in Brussels: It's your call! On the 8th of October 2006, Brussels schools will be transformed into polling stations again. Every citizen in Belgium will get the opportunity to vote and choose who represents them on the local level. These elections take place every six years. Belgian residents with EU nationality have been eligible to vote and stand for local elections since 2000. Until today not many Europeans have used this opportunity. According to Vanessa Cuevas and Joeri Hamvas, two young candidates for their respective City Councils, it is about time to change this. They want all Europeans in Brussels to register and use their democratic right to vote. Registering to vote is very simple. Residents just need to fill in a short registration form and return it to their local town hall before 31 July 2006. Liberal candidate Vanessa Cuevas (MR) will run for the elections in Ixelles and Joeri Hamvas in Brussels-City on the progressive Flemish list (sp.a-groen-spirit). Let's hear what they have to say about these local elections. Vanessa and Joeri, you both work as parliamentary assistants. Why do you think that the Europeans in Brussels should register and participate in these elections? Cuevas: Who better than the people working in a political environment such as the EP know that using voting rights is important? Most of us have been living in Brussels for some time now, enjoying its charms, easy living character and good nightlife. But how many times have we complained about its traffic jams, its dirt, its sketchy garbage collection and sometimes its insecurity? Well, this is an opportunity for all of us to make our voice heard! In the end, it is our neighbourhoods we are talking about. Hamvas: Yes. The local level is the closest to all citizens. Having clean and safe streets, a good housing policy and solving the abandoned houses problem are local competences. We all pay local taxes, so we should ensure that we have a say on how our commune will spend that money. And that is why people have to register and vote. Cuevas: People working in and outside the institutions all come from different countries. We should share our best practices from all over Europe to improve the management of Brussels communes. This will only be possible if Europeans take an active role in these elections. Vanessa lives in Ixelles, home to the European Parliament and its population. What can be changed in Ixelles? Cuevas: Ixelles is a very dynamic and multicultural town which has more than 167 different nationalities. 36% of its population is of European or non-European origin but only 6% registered for the last elections. They probably share my concerns, to make the Matonge/St Boniface a safer place, to finish never-ending works on Place Flagey, sort out the traffic problems in Chatelain. And what about Brussels City? The heart of the Brussels Capital region, what should happen there? Hamvas: Brussels City should be the leading commune and make a good example. It is the only place where everyone comes now and then, to party, to visit the Grand Place with their family or to shop. Today, the streets are dirty. There are no public toilets, but a lot of smelly streets. It is high time that Brussels invests in public toilets so that we just have one Manneke Pis and not one on every corner. The abandoned houses have to be tackled as well. The City should intervene when a landlord or investing company speculates and leaves the building falling apart. It is ugly and gives a feeling of insecurity. But how do you register? The Brussels-Europe Liaison Office (www.blbe.be) has a good website in English Dutch and French about how to register. To sum it up: You must be a citizen of one of the EU member states, be resident in a Belgian municipality (registered in the population register or register of aliens before 31 July 2006), and you must be entered in the voting register before 31 July 2006. On the Brussels-Europe Liaison Office website you can find a downloadable form which you fill in, then make a copy of your ID and return everything to your Municipality before 31 July. You will find the addresses on the same website. Once you are registered, the vote is compulsory but you do not lose the right to vote in your country of origin in a general election, European elections, regional or local elections. So it's time to get involved in the life of your town and start creating a citizens Europe! More information about the local elections: blbe |