16:57
Vooruit holds extra party office about racist statements by chairman Conner Rousseau
Come on The party office is exceptionally meeting this evening. This has been confirmed to our editors. The party will consider the racist statements by Conner Rousseau. Earlier this week, the party chairman found himself in a storm of criticism when it turned out that his statements were even ruder than previously thought.
Conner Rousseau’s “zattemanslap” continues to haunt him and his party. This week ‘Het Nieuwsblad’ published literal statements by Rousseau about the Roma community. “We have to be honest: it’s always those brown men. I think you should tackle that much harder. You have to use your mattress much more. I can’t throw all that brown scum out,” he said firmly. A punk with a mohawk – an “ugly fat bastard” – also deserved the ban, according to Rousseau.
The chairman did not respond to the new revelations and there was also silence within his own ranks. However, the party chairman will have to answer to the party leadership tonight. Here and there the word sounds dismissal. Vooruit municipal councilor in Ghent Emilie Peeters called on Rousseau on Thursday to step aside. “This really cannot just pass by,” he said. And the youth department in Ghent not only lost confidence in Rousseau today, but… also denounced the “very deafening silence that currently prevails within the party.”