BRUSSELS, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- The results of Belgian local elections were released on Monday with lots of surprises in store, including the election of Pierre Kompany -- the Congo-born father of Manchester City skipper and Belgian football legend Vincent Kompany -- as mayor of Ganshoren, Belgian local news reported.
The father of Vincent Kompany will become the first mayor of sub-Saharan origin in the country. Vincent posted a video on social media to congratulate his father who was elected with 28.3 percent of the vote.
"Historic! We are so proud of you dad, coming from DR Congo as a refugee in 1975. Now you have won the trust of your municipality by becoming the first black mayor elected in Belgium! It was long, but it is progress. Congratulations!" wrote Vincent and brother Francois.
Across the country, Greens, leftists and the far-right made strong gains in Belgium's local elections on Sunday -- to the detriment of traditional parties -- in what commentators said was a nation-wide rehearsal for federal and European elections to be held next year.
In Brussels, the Ecolo or Green party registered historical gains, coming first or second in several local councils, including in the areas of Ixelles and Forest, where it displaced the ruling Socialist Party.
The leftist and Marxist-leaning Workers' Party of Belgium (PTB) was the other big winner, although they will unlikely join forces with any of the ruling coalitions in any of the 19 municipalities of Brussels.
The main loser in the Belgian capital was the right-wing Reformist Movement (MR), the party of the current Prime Minister Charles Michel, which was challenged in its stronghold of Uccle by a rising Green movement.
Elsewhere in Brussels, the Socialists registered a symbolic victory in Molenbeek, where they beat MR incumbent Francoise Scheepmans, who came second despite winning praise for her handling of the Brussels terrorist attacks of 2016.
In the French-speaking Wallonia region, the ruling Socialists maintained their position as the number one party but saw their majority dented by the rise of the leftist PTB in many local townhalls.
In Flanders, the separatist N-VA (New Flemish Alliance) party, which advocates the gradual dissolution of Belgium, solidified its leadership although the Green party made gains there as well.
Belgium will hold national and regional elections on May 26, 2019, the same day as the European elections.
