Last month, De Roover and Van Doesburg exchanged their home near Sint-Jansplein in Antwerp North for the calmer Ekeren. The couple made that decision after the birth of their son Marcel. This move means that De Roover can no longer sit on the Antwerp district council. For this you have to live in the respective district. After one year, his term of office is already over.
“This week the last district council of 2025 took place and also the last district council of valued district councilor Peter De Roover,” writes N-VA Antwerp on Facebook. “We thank Peter for his commitment to the Antwerp district and wish him every success in his move to Ekeren.”
The party has already appointed a successor. Jonathan Vander Elst will take the oath in January.
It is not the first time that De Roover has relinquished a political council. At the end of 2020, the N-VA member gave up his place in the Mortsel municipal council to Carine Vantournhout. As the reason for his resignation, De Roover pointed to his busy agenda in national politics. “It is increasingly difficult for me to be physically present at the municipal councils. Every Tuesday there is a party council and I am also chairman of the N-VA faction in the Chamber. I do not think it is right to stand in the way of local party members who are ready to succeed me. I do not want to do half work. Neither in Mortsel nor in Brussels,” says De Roover.
The move also brings a drastic change for Doesburg. To reach the Schoon Verdiep, the mayor must cover a considerably greater distance. From now on, she will exchange the bicycle for the car. A driver’s license is therefore essential. “Then everything can no longer be done by bike or on foot. So now is the time, I can’t postpone it anymore,” van Doesburg said earlier.