The Greens and other smaller parties hammered traditional political heavyweights in local elections Sunday in Belgium, in what has been billed as a rehearsal for next year’s federal and European elections.

Advertising Read more

In Brussels, the Green party Ecolo-Groen made a breakthrough in the local ballot, finishing first and second in a number of local councils.

Overall, the party led by Zakia Khattabi and Patrick Dupriez, finished first in four Brussels Region districts, including the EU district of Ixelles, and won up to 29 percent of the vote in other districts.

These results could lead the party to having a number of mayors in the Brussels region, where they currently only have one, in Watermael-Boitsfort.

📰 Edition spéciale de votre journal Le Soir ce lundi !



Rendez-vous en librairie, ou en version numérique sur https://t.co/vsvqkZkC2p pic.twitter.com/r0U6DUdhvO Le Soir (@lesoir) 14 octobre 2018

The election’s other big winner in the Belgian capital was the leftwing Workers Party (PTB/PvdA), especially in the city’s former industrial districts.

The pro-sharia Islam Party lost its seat in Brussels's Molenbeek district, winning less than 2 percent of the vote.

In Flanders, the Greens also made gains, although the separatist New Flemish Alliance (N-VA) -- which advocates for the separation between French-speaking Wallonia and the Flemish Flanders -- maintained its leadership there.

The ruling socialists remained dominant in French-speaking Wallonia but they were challenged by the rising PTB/PvdA in a number of local town halls.

Commentators say these elections are a mirror for the national, regional and European elections to be held in Belgium in May.</s>European environmentalists on Monday welcomed the results of regional ballots in Belgium and Germany's southern state of Bavaria, as well as those of Luxembourg's general elections, which saw gains for green parties ahead of European Union parliamentary elections in 2019.

In Bavaria, the Green Party gained ground, clinching first place in Munich and becoming the main opposition party to the Christian Social Union, breaking its hegemony of the region.</s>Greens, leftists and the far-right have made strong gains in Belgium’s local elections on Sunday (14 October), in what commentators said was a nation-wide rehearsal for federal and European elections to be held next year.

In Brussels, the Ecolo/Groen party registered historical gains, coming first or second in several local councils, including Ixelles and Forest, where it displaced the ruling socialist party.

The leftist PTB was the other big winner, although they weren’t expected to enter ruling coalitions in any of the 19 “communes” of Brussels.

The main loser in the capital of Europe is the right-wing MR, the party of Prime Minister Charles Michel, which was challenged in its Uccle stronghold by a rising Green wave.

Elsewhere in Brussels, the socialists registered a symbolic victory in Molenbeek, where they beat MR incumbent Françoise Scheepmans, who came second despite winning praise for her handling of the Brussels terrorist attacks of 2016.

? Edition spéciale de votre journal Le Soir ce lundi ! Rendez-vous en librairie, ou en version numérique sur https://t.co/vsvqkZkC2p pic.twitter.com/r0U6DUdhvO — Le Soir (@lesoir) October 14, 2018

In the French-speaking Wallonia region, the ruling socialists maintained their position as the first party but saw their majority dented by the rise of the leftist PTB in many local townhalls.

In Flanders, the separatist N-VA (New Flemish Alliance), which advocates the gradual dissolution of Belgium, solidified its leadership although the Green party made gains there as well.

The N-VA’s leadership was also challenged by the far-right Vlaams Belang, which won the commune of Ninove near Brussels, where the Forza Ninove list of Guy D’Haeseleer came in as a clear winner.

Nation-wide projections of Sunday’s vote saw traditional parties losing seats across the country, with the Greens, leftists and far-right all virtually increasing their representation in the federal parliament.

Belgium will hold national and regional elections on 26 May 2019, the same day as the European elections.</s>Ballots will be cast starting at 8 a.m. (6:00 GMT) for members of 19 municipal authorities in Brussels, as well as for provincial and municipal governing bodies in Flanders, Wallonia and separately in the German-speaking Community.

READ MORE: Belgium's Flanders Govt Says Region to Be Worst Hit by Brexit After Ireland

The vote is seen as a test for Prime Minister Charles Michel and his ruling coalition of the center-right Flemish nationalists (N-VA), the centrist Flemish Christian Democrats (CD&V), the Dutch-speaking Liberal Democrats (Open Vld) and Francophone liberals (MR).</s>BRUSSELS: Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku struck twice as Belgium maintained their strong start to the UEFA Nations League football tournament with a battling 2-1 win over Switzerland on Friday.

When Lukaku found the net with an angled drive on 58 minutes, it looked like Roberto Martinez’s men would be giving French World Cup winner Thierry Henry a winning send-off in his final match as Belgium assistant coach ahead of an imminent move to Monaco.

The World Cup semi-finalists took their eye off the ball on 76 minutes, and the King Baudoin Stadium was stunned when Mario Gavranovic poked the ball past Thibaut Courtois from close range in after the Real Madrid ‘keeper had been drawn by Nico Elvedi heading Xherdan Shaqiri’s floated cross back into play.

But in a busy final period that saw the hosts turn the throttle Lukaku had his second six minutes from time.

Belgium’s second win of the tournament keeps them flying high in League A Group 2 following an opening 3-0 win in Iceland. Switzerland gave Belgium a run for their money in a fairly balanced opening half in which the hosts mainly flattered to deceive.
Voters in Belgium go to the polls for local elections, with the Greens making historic gains.