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. 📰 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 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. 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.
Voters in Belgium go to the polls for local elections, with the Greens making historic gains.