PN member Herman De Croo Steps Down as Mayor After 48 Years in Municipal Politics

PN member Herman De Croo has been serving in municipal politics for 48 years, starting in 1964 in Michelbeke and becoming mayor of Brakel, a municipality in the Belgian province of East Flanders, in 2000. In addition to his duties at the municipality level, he is also active on the national level, as member of the Belgian Federal Parliament, uninterrupted since March 1968.

Out of his 80 working hours per week, as he says, he spent between 20 and 25 hours for the municipality, going to the city council twice a day. “No letter entered the city hall that I have not read. The same applies to the outgoing post.” This was however only possible thanks to his good health and because he really liked his job, he adds.

On January 2, 2013, his son Alexander De Croo became mayor of Brakel and Herman De Croo stepped down as the Belgian law does not allow for father and son to sit in the same municipal council.

The Parliamentarians Network for Conflict Prevention congratulates his member Herman De Croo on his long career and whishes him the very best for his ongoing work as MP. We are proud of having a member with such a long-standing experience in politics and we are looking forward to continuing working with him on conflict prevention issues.

For more information on Herman De Croo, please visit his homepage.

For more information (in Dutch), see:

Open Vld (29.12.2012): “Ik stop alleen omdat ik moet”

Niewsblad.be (18.12.2012): “Herman De Croo neemt na 48 jaar emotioneel afscheid van gemeenteraad”

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