Editing Ninove (section)

==City politics==
[[File:Ninove, Stadhuis-PM 46446.jpg|thumb|Ninove old town hall]]
Since 1 November 2015, the mayor of Ninove has been {{Ill|Tania De Jonge|nl}} ([[Flemish Liberals and Democrats|Open VLD]]). 
The city council currently has 33 members, and is composed as follows:
* Open VLD – 9 seats
* Forza Ninove ([[Vlaams Belang]]) – 15 seats
* Samen ([[Socialistische Partij Anders|SP.a]]-[[Groen (political party)|Groen]] – [[Christian-Democratic and Flemish|CD&V]]) – 7 seats
* [[New Flemish Alliance|N-VA]] – 2 seats

===2001–2007===
CD&V and N-VA had allied themselves for the 2000 election, and formed a coalition with the VLD. Due to the increase of population, the threshold of 35,000 inhabitants had been passed and Ninove saw an increase from 31 to 33 council members for the communal elections, which were held on Sunday 8 October 2006.

The municipal elections on 8 October 2006 let the VLD retain its 12 seats, the CD&V win a seat, giving them a total of 8, the Vlaams Belang double its seats, giving them a total of 8, the socialist party PRO Ninove lose a seat, making a total of 4, and the Green Party hold their single seat. The coalition between VLD and CD&V was renewed, but without the N-VA.

===2007–2012===
During the 2 January 2007 elections of the [[OCMW]] council, one member of the VLD fraction voted for a candidate of Vlaams Belang, making the VLD lose 1 seat. After an investigation led by the local chapter of the VLD, it was announced that the person they suspected to be the culprit was [[Schepen]] Mariette De Smet. De Smet announced she would leave the VLD, but would remain in the council of the mayor and aldermen as an independent. Her colleagues in the council stripped her of all her duties, but after a few months she regained a few of them. On 9 January 2008 De Smet, fellow VLD schepen Corijn and another VLD member of the city council announced they were joining [[List Dedecker|LDD]], leaving the VLD-CD&V with a brittle one seat majority on the city council. The LDD alderman however elected to stay in the majority, making for a brittle coalition. On 5 May 2009 a Vlaams Belang councilmember defected to the LDD. In 2009 mayor Luc Durant announced he would resign for health reasons. He was replaced in September by Michel Casteur. In 2010 another VB councilmember left the party to become an independent. In January 2011 Mariette De Smet announced she would join the Vlaams Belang lead chartel list "Forza Ninove" and left LDD. She was then again stripped of her duties by her fellow aldermen. On 27 July 2011 De Smet was murdered in a [[murder-suicide]] by a friend of her husband. She was replaced as alderman by a member of the VLD.  In 2012 the local LDD disbanded with its members either joining Forza Ninove or N-VA.

===2013–2018===
The municipal elections on 14 October 2012 saw the ruling VLD-CD&V-LDD coalition head for electoral defeat as the VLD (9) lost three and the CD&V (4) lost four seats. Vlaams Belang, under the cartel name "Forza Ninove", won a seat, giving them a total of 9. The socialist party SP.a and the Green Party formed a chartel and won six seats. N-VA won 5 seats.

After the negotiations between Open VLD, SP.a-Groen and N-VA collapsed, the coalition between Open VLD and CD&V was renewed but expanded with SP.a-Groen. N-VA, claiming election irregularities by CD&V and "Forza Ninove", launched and won an administrative appeal. This ruling vacated the election results and ordered new elections to be held. Open VLD, CD&V and SP.a-Groen appealed this ruling to the [[Council of State (Belgium)|Council of State]] which in February 2013 subsequently overthrew the previous ruling and restored the election results. The new city council and aldermen were finally inaugurated on 25 February 2013. On 1 November 2015 mayor Casteur stood down and was replaced by Tania De Jonge.

===2019–2024===
The  municipal elections on 14 October 2018 saw Forza Ninove win a landslide victory with 40% of the vote, winning 15 seats (+6). Open VLD retained its 9 seats, SAMEN (a cartel of socialists, greens and Christian-democrats) won 7 seats. N-VA won 2 seats (−3). Forza was unable to form a majority coalition, and ultimately Open VLD and SAMEN combined with one councillor from N-VA who sits as an independent to form a majority.

=== 2024-now ===
In the [[2024 Belgian local elections]], Forza Ninove won an absolute majority in the municipality, leading to Guy d'Haeseleer becoming the first-ever Vlaams Belang mayor.<ref>{{Cite web |last=NWS |first=VRT |date=2024-12-05 |title=Guy D'haeseleer legt eed af als eerste Vlaams Belang-burgemeester van Vlaanderen: "Historische avond" |url=https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2024/12/05/guy-d-haeseleer-ingezworen-als-eerste-vb-burgemeester-van-vlaand/ |access-date=2024-12-12 |website=vrtnws.be |language=nl}}</ref>

===List of former mayors===
{{columns-list|colwidth=30em|
*1793–1801 – L. Van Ypersele
*1802–1814 – Geeraard Germanes
*1815–1824 – M. Van Ypersele
*1825–1830 – Joseph Cools
*1831–1854 – Karel Van Ypersele
*1855–1863 – Victor Van Oudenhove
*1864–1869 – Edmond De Deyn
*1870–1871 – Pieter Soetens
*1872–1894 – August De Cooman
*1895–1911 – Edmond De Deyn
*1912 – Victor Van Impe
*1913–1940 – Clément Behn
*1941–1944 – Karel Dortant
*1945 – Clément Behn
*1946–1954 – Omer Van Trimpont (BSP)
*1955–1976 – Emiel Milo ([[Belgian Socialist Party|BSP]])
*1977–1994 – Etienne Cosyns (CL – Centrumlijst)
*1995–2000 – Louis Waltniel (Banier)
*2001–2009 – Luc Durant (VLD)
*2009–2015 – Michel Casteur (Open VLD)
*2015–2024– Tania De Jonge (Open VLD)
}}