Aalst must save nearly 13 million euros over next five years
The Flemish government says Aalst must save almost 13 million euros over five years, but Mayor Christoph D'Haese says this will not lead to new layoffs in city services.
The city of Aalst in East Flanders must save nearly 13 million euros over the next five years, according to the Flemish government. VRT NWS reported the news on Wednesday 28 October 2026.
The required savings come on top of earlier cuts, making this an extra round of budget reductions for the city.
Mayor Christoph D'Haese (N-VA) says the extra savings round does not have to lead to job losses. He stresses that no new layoffs will take place in the city's municipal services.
It is not yet clear where the city intends to make the savings. Belgian cities and municipalities depend partly on the regional government for their financial framework, which is why the Flemish government can set such requirements.
Original reporting
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How this article was made
BelgiumNow summarises reporting by Belgian media in English. This text was written with the help of AI from the facts in the reports listed above and checked automatically before publishing. For the full story, read the original reporting.