Mayors of Antwerp and Brussels Unite to Tackle Problem Youth

When it comes to tackling problem youth, a well-known phenomenon in both Antwerp and Brussels, both mayors find each other. “I always agree with my colleague when we talk about administrative enforcement,” says De Wever. Both are in favor of giving mayors more power to tackle young people from their municipalities themselves. “I think we could do that very well. We know our Pappenheimers.”

“We have the impression that for some politicians the mayor is like a sheriff,” Close agrees with his Antwerp colleague. “That is not our role. Our role is to manage our city. I want to convince the various governments that as mayor we have a special role for a better society.”

It is striking that Bart De Wever likes to emphasize that you should not only punish difficult young people, but also guide them in cooperation with schools or social services. Philippe Close, on the other hand, is in favor of Vooruit chairman Conner Rousseau’s proposal to create a black list of runaways. A form of more law and order: it does not correspond to the “laisser-aller-image” of the PS. “I understand the point of view. We also need sanctions. Knowing why a young person has done something is one thing, but taking sanctions against runaways is also important to combat the feeling of impunity.”