Former Vooruit chairman Conner Rousseau is quitting as a Flemish Member of Parliament. He announced this himself on Instagram. It is not yet clear whether he will be party leader in next year’s elections.
“My dear followers, I hope you are doing well. After careful consideration, I am making a difficult decision today. I am quitting as a member of parliament,” Rousseau wrote on Instagram. “Ever since I was a child, I dreamed of one day becoming involved in politics myself. To make people’s lives better. To fight for equal opportunities for every child. To reduce inequality. It was a great honor to be able to represent you.”
“But that dream became a nightmare in recent months. Look, I’m not perfect. Far from. But I have always done politics to change things. To deal with the real problems of the people. To work hard. In the public interest. With the best intentions. Really and truly.”
“I want to say sorry again. For the ugly mistake I made. And also say sorry to those I disappointed. I’m mostly angry with myself. That’s why I’m going to work on myself in the near future. To come out of this stronger as a person. But I don’t want to do that at the expense of parliament. I wouldn’t feel good about that. Hence this choice. I hope to put this behind me now. And I hope everyone can do this.”
“Thank you, I want to thank you all. You are more than I could ever hope for. Learned a lot. From the testimonies, conversations, visits and even the criticism. Thank you for the love, support and warmth I have received from you in recent years. I will carry that with me forever.”
“Continue to support Vooruit. Dark times are ahead. Only Vooruit can provide light. For hope. For progress.”
“In the coming weeks and months, make a fist together. They’ve been on our backs enough. It’s time to talk about people’s problems again. About the things that really matter. And I hope that my departure can help with that. I will be carrying out assignments as a self-employed/freelancer in the coming months. At my own pace.”
“Take care. I am grateful to you. And will always remain one of you.”
List leader?
With this message, Conner informs Rousseau that he is quitting as a Flemish Member of Parliament. Rousseau recently decided to resign as chairman of Vooruit after he found himself in the eye of the storm following racist and sexist statements he made during an evening at a café in Sint-Niklaas. He was succeeded by Melissa Depraetere, who until recently was party leader in the House.
Rousseau’s role during the 2024 elections is still unclear. It is not certain whether he still wants/will be a candidate in the elections. In addition, it is not clear whether he will draw the electoral list in East Flanders.
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