John Crombez offers his resignation, socialist party’s Executive Committee refuses to accept it
The leader of the Flemish Socialist Party (SP.A) John Crombez offered his resignation to the party’s Executive Committee. However, it voted unanimously not to accept it and Mr Crombez will remain party leader until the leadership elections in the autumn.
It is not clear whether Mr Crombez will be a candidate for the party leadership when elections are held later this year.
John Crombez has been the target of much criticism from within his own party after SP.A’s poor performance in the regional, federal an d European elections on 26 May. The socialist Mayor of Vilvoorde (Flemish Brabant) Hans Bonte also slammed Mr Crombez as he is combining the post of post leader with that of an MP, something that is no longer allowed under new party rules pushed through by non-other that Mr Crombez himself.
However, this situation is only temporary and Mr Crombez has said that he will stand down as an MP if he is given a fresh mandate as party leader in the leadership elections in the autumn. However, it is now far from clear whether or not he will stand.