They are organised by the respective regions: In the municipalities with language facilities of Voeren, Comines-Warneton and the 6 of the Brussels Periphery, the aldermen and members of the OCMW/CPAS council are directly elected.

Here are the most important national parties: All Belgian citizens aged 18 or over are automatically registered and are obliged to participate in the election.

A third one in Anderlecht, headed by the aforementioned leader who had been elected in 2012, was invalidated because it hadn't been able to collect 100 signatures for its act of presentation.

In April and begin September several politicians, amidst big media interest for this minuscule party (2 councillors, less than 10 members), had announced they would submit a law proposal to forbid it as its leader had multiplied controversial attitudes towards women and announcements that he aimed to introduce sharia in Belgium.

[4] Following the 2012 election, Freddy Thielemans (PS) continued as mayor, heading a coalition of socialists (PS-sp.a) and liberals (MR-Open Vld).

In 2017, a scandal emerged surrounding Samusocial, an organisation for homeless people where board members received excessive compensations for supposed meetings.

[5] In 2018, new financial-political scandals emerged regarding at least three organisations (Gial, Brinfin and Neo) where people were reimbursed as self-employed where they should have been actually employed.

Opinion polling: In 1994, a new coalition took power in Schaerbeek against the former Liberal (PRL) majority that had backed far right mayor Roger Nols [fr].

This coalition included former 'Nolsists', under the leadership of incumbent mayor Francis Duriau, the FDF of Bernard Clerfayt, Ecolo, the PSC and the PS (the Flemish SP competed apart, on a common list with a small local movement, IDS).

In 2012, the PS was maintained in the opposition, while the CDH (4 seats) entered it with 2 aldermen, and the local MR chapter broke up as the federal party forbade any common list with its former FDF partner, but a majority of the local chapter chose to go forward with the (predominantly FDF) Mayor's List as 'Independent Liberals'.

In both elections, the Ecolo list was led by a former federal leader, Isabelle Durant, who chose to keep its alliance with FDF Bernard Clerfayt.

[10][11] PS federal deputy Ahmed Laaouej declined the offer to move from Koekelberg to Schaerbeek to replace her.

[12][13] In 2015, the CDH fraction was halved with the exclusion of Regional deputy Mahinur Özdemir, officially for refusing to recognize the existence of the 1915 Armenian genocide.

The Open VLD, whose only councillor sits within the majority, has decided to join the Liste du Bourgmestre (Mayor's List), which includes DéFI (new name of the FDF) candidates, including the mayor himself, and former MR.[15] Opinion polling: In Flanders, the elections are mainly regulated by the Local and Provincial Electoral Act of 8 July 2011.

Below are a few key dates set out in the Act applied to these elections: All residents aged 18 and higher with Belgian citizenship are obligated to vote.

N-VA was able to break through in a lot of places locally in 2012, but CD&V remained the largest party in many municipalities, especially in rural ones.

Largest opposition party is Open Vld, who put forth Jean-Jacques De Gucht as main candidate.

On 17 November 2016, CD&V announced that Deputy Prime Minister Kris Peeters will move from Puurs to Antwerp to be their main candidate.

Kris Peeters surprisingly said he has a chance of becoming mayor even if his party CD&V only receives 5% of the vote and is needed for a coalition.

The largest opposition party is N-VA; Pol Van Den Driessche will be its main candidate.

[clarification needed] Former director of the Flemish Catholic education Mieke Van Hecke [nl] will stand for CD&V instead.

One of the main topics is the implementation of a traffic circulation plan in 2017, which increased the car-free area in the city centre and divided the city into several zones for access by car, in order to improve air quality and stimulate public transportation and cycle use.

Since neither bloc has a majority, the four parties will try forming a coalition together, but it was uncertain at first as to whether Filip Watteeuw (Groen) or Mathias De Clercq (Open Vld) will become mayor.

Opinion polling: Vincent Van Quickenborne is the incumbent mayor of Kortrijk (in West Flanders), with a coalition of Open Vld, N-VA and sp.a.

Mechelen (in Antwerp) is governed by a coalition of Vld-Groen-m+, N-VA and CD&V, headed by mayor Bart Somers (Open Vld).

Opinion polling: Incumbent mayor and Minister of State Johan Vande Lanotte (sp.a) announced he wants to run with a "citizens' movement".

[48] Tommelein formed a coalition of his party Open Vld together with Groen, CD&V and N-VA, ousting Vande Lanotte as mayor.

The PS enters the election with an open list under the name "Pour vouS" ("For you"), their main candidate is current alderman André Perpète.

Currently the MR is the biggest opposition party, but the PTB is expected to grow into one of the big contenders in 2018.

Popular PTB politician Raoul Hedebouw, who lives in Liège, has stated that he's not interested in running for mayor.