Coens puts party first: “My person is not important”

Normally, CD&V presidential elections would take place at the end of this year, but Coens had made it clear earlier that he wanted to avoid an internal struggle and would prefer a consensus candidate. This week he received a mandate from the party council to prepare election regulations and a timing, which will be discussed at the next party council. In Antwerp, Coens did not want to elaborate on the future leadership of the party. “We have to go to the 2024 elections with the strongest possible occupation and see who can do what. It is of course up to the members to choose who their chairman is,” said the chairman. Can he himself be the consensus figure? “My person is not important,” was the reply. “All our toppers are available for the game and that is very important”.