Peeters leaves behind a mixed legacy. Although she has made significant progress in the areas of mobility and infrastructure, there are still issues such as public transport and pupil transport that still require a solution. It is now up to her successor to tackle these challenges.
Lydia Peeters left the Ferraris building in Brussels for the last time last Monday as Flemish Minister of Mobility and Public Works. After succeeding Bart Tommelein in 2018, she managed one of the heaviest portfolios in the Flemish government for four years. Peeters looks back on her achievements with pride, but her term was also marked by strong criticism. "We have managed to force many breakthroughs and realize important infrastructure projects, and I am proud of that," Peeters wrote in a message on social media.
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Lydia Peeters, who is also mayor of Dilsen-Stokkem, managed to make significant progress in the field of mobility in Limburg and Flanders during her mandate. In her home province of Limburg, never before has so much been invested in infrastructure projects as under her administration. Despite the challenges, Peeters intends to continue to exert her influence from the Flemish Parliament. “Coming home is always good,” she said.
During her ministry, the emphasis was on road safety and promoting sustainable mobility, especially for cyclists. One of her most notable projects was the installation of no less than 30.000 charging stations, with which she achieved her ambitious goal by a wide margin. Peeters also committed herself to the transition to zero-emission mobility, a process that she believes can no longer be stopped.
criticism
In addition to praise for her performance, there was also criticism. Professor Dirk Lauwers of the University of Antwerp acknowledges that Peeters was open to advice from experts, but that there were often differences of opinion. "Criticism was possible and allowed. In my opinion, that is an important quality for a minister," Lauwers said in a response. One of the most sensitive issues during her term of office was the reform of De Lijn, the Flemish public transport company. The plan to eliminate thousands of bus stops and replace them with flexible transport - a system similar to the former dial-a-bus - met with resistance from both mobility organisations and citizen groups. They feared that this reform would lead to "transport poverty and exclusion," especially in rural areas.
The criticism of her policy was further reinforced by the then CEO of De Lijn, Ann Schoubs, who went to the media to express her dissatisfaction with the underfunding of the transport company. Schoubs even called the situation at De Lijn a “rotting strategy” and described the outdated buses as “corpses.” Several Flemish parliamentarians asked Peeters for a response to this heavy criticism. Peeters reacted fiercely and stated that a company that is in trouble “should not go and cry in the newspaper.”
Another difficult dossier that landed on Peeters' desk was pupil transport in special education. Vulnerable children who were stuck on the bus for hours caused outrage among parents and schools. Although Peeters took steps to address this problem, there was still much dissatisfaction about the slow progress. This dossier is now expected to be handed over to her successor.
successor
Peeters' policy was also criticized from a political perspective. Marc Descheemaecker (N-VA) was particularly sharp and recently stated that Peeters "fills the holes she herself dug." He pointed to a lack of strategic vision on the part of the minister. Ironically, as chairman of the board of directors at De Lijn, Descheemaecker implemented the austerity measures of Peeters' predecessor Ben Weyts (N-VA), a round of austerity measures that critics say contributed to the problems at the transport company. Antwerp mayor Bart De Wever (N-VA) joined Descheemaecker's criticism and stated: "If at the end of the legislature you yourself think that things are not right, you should look in the mirror and not at someone else."
Despite these critical notes, Lydia Peeters is praised by many for her work. Carine Driessens, former director of BuSO De Dageraad Kortessem, publicly thanked Peeters for her efforts in the dossier on pupil transport in special education. "You are the only minister who has taken this dossier to heart so far. I hope that the next minister will handle the dossier with the same drive, without detracting from your achievements," according to Driessens' written response to her departure.
