Will Tervuren Merge with Overijse?
Last year, the N-VA mayors of Tervuren and Overijse, with the support of Flemish Catholics and Groen, discreetly commissioned a study to explore the possibility of merging the two municipalities. This move was made despite a clear lack of interest from the people of Tervuren regarding such a merger.
Although the municipality promised to closely involve its citizens, no referendum was proposed, nor was any additional information provided.
Both Volt and our electoral partner, Tervuren Unie, argue that this crucial decision should be made by Tervuren's 14,164 voters through a referendum, rather than by a handful of politicians. However, the current coalition of N-VA, Groen, and CD&V has been notably avoiding the issue, likely to prevent it from affecting their electoral results.
At the regional level, the N-VA is advocating for the merger of municipalities with fewer than 40,000 residents. But shouldn't the people of Tervuren be the ones to decide their own future? This is yet another issue where Volt draws from our pan-European experience—we strongly advocate for transparency. Let Tervurenaars be informed and empowered to make this decision.
We call for openness and a genuine debate about the future of the municipality. Should Tervuren merge with Overijse, or explore other options, such as partnerships with Wezembeek-Oppem or Kraainem?