The Team Fouad Ahidar (TFA) is a Belgian political party. Founded in 2024 as minority-interests party, it is named after its founder. Fouad Ahidar

Team Fouad Ahidar
AbbreviationTFA
LeaderFouad Ahidar
Founded9 February 2024; 9 months ago (2024-02-09)
Split fromVooruit
HeadquartersLombardstraat 69, 1000 Brussels
IdeologyMuslim interests
Multiculturalism
Anti-Zionism
Political positionCentre-left
European affiliationFree Palestine Party
Colours  Purple
Chamber of Representatives
0 / 150
Senate
0 / 60
Flemish Parliament
1 / 124
Walloon Parliament
0 / 75
Brussels Parliament
3 / 17
Flemish seats
Parliament of the French Community
0 / 94
European Parliament
0 / 22
Benelux Parliament
0 / 21
Website
fouadahidar.com

Establishment

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Fouad Ahidar was elected as a Brussels MP in 2004 for sp.a, later known as Vooruit. He held a leading position in the party and was party leader. After Vooruit party chairman Conner Rousseau was charged with making racist statements,[1] Ahidar resigned from the party in December 2023.[2] In February 2024, he announced that he would present his own list in the Dutch-speaking electoral college in Brussels for the upcoming elections.[3]

Despite being nominally a bilingual and cross-community party, Team Fouad Ahidar presented candidates in only the Dutch-speaking electoral college in Brussels and for the Flemish parliament.

2024 elections

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In the elections for the Brussels Parliament on June 9, 2024, the party obtained 16.47% of the votes and three seats with Fouad Ahidar, Najima El Arbaoui [nl] and Ilyas El Omari in the Dutch language group. This made Team Fouad Ahidar the second largest faction on the Dutch-speaking side, after Groen. In addition, the party obtained 17.97% and one of the six seats with M'Hamed Kasmi [nl] in the electoral area of the Brussels members of the Flemish Parliament.

After the election, Vooruit MP Hannelore Goeman [nl] claimed that the party's success was based on "fake news and lies".[4] Reformist Movement and DéFI both stated they would not form a Brussels government with Team Fouad Ahidar, effectively relegating the party to opposition.[5]

Election results

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Chamber of Representatives

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Election Leader Votes % Seats +/- Government
2024 Fouad Ahidar 24,826 0.36
0 / 150
New Extra-parliamentary

Regional

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Brussels Parliament

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Election Leader Votes % Seats +/- Government
2024 (Dutch language group) Fouad Ahidar 13,242 16.47
3 / 17
New Opposition

Flemish Parliament

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Election Leader Votes % Seats +/- Government
2024 Fouad Ahidar 14,187 0.32
1 / 124
New Opposition

References

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  1. ^ NWS, VRT (2023-10-02). "Vooruit-voorzitter Conner Rousseau wordt donderdag verhoord over mogelijk racistische uitlatingen". vrtnws.be (in Dutch). Retrieved 2024-06-20.
  2. ^ "Brussels MP Fouad Ahidar leaves Vooruit: 'I am deeply appalled by the many blunders, the convictions for racism and sexism'". Ground News. Retrieved 2024-06-20.
  3. ^ "Fouad Ahidar trekt Gewestlijst voor 'Team Fouad Ahidar'". www.bruzz.be (in Dutch). Retrieved 2024-06-20.
  4. ^ "Socialist MP claims Team Fouad Ahidar's success was thanks to a "campaign full of lies and fake news"". vrtnws.be. 2024-06-11. Retrieved 2024-06-20.
  5. ^ Chini, Maïthé (18 June 2024). "'Unprecedented': MR and DéFi veto newcomer Team Fouad Ahidar in Brussels Government". www.brusselstimes.com. Retrieved 2024-06-20.