Brussels says goodbye to former mayor Freddy Thielemans
On Saturday morning, the last place given to former Brussels mayor Freddy Thielemans took place in the Brussels crematorium in Uccle. Relatives, many party members and Brussels politicians attended the civil funeral. The city of Brussels provided a video link to follow the funeral online.
The coffin was surrounded by flowers and also a statue of Manneken Pis, wearing a mayor’s sash. Friends testified about the life of the socialist bourgeoisie, interspersed with songs dear to him. At the end of the ceremony, the family took their place for a more intimate tribute. Those present at last week’s political agreement Thielemans (77). His humanism, humility and joie de vivre were also unearthed. Long applause followed.
He was praised as an ‘erudite who did not hide his knowledge’, a man with talent for drawing and language skills. From a bon vivant with a ‘passion for beautiful cars’. Others request his ‘world citizenship’ because, for example, he received the Japanese crown prince according to the rules, but also talked to fairground vendors or star chefs. ‘You could call him for the big and the small problems. He was an extraordinary man.’
“I lived with him for 51 years, without being bored for a minute,” one of Thielemans’ two daughters summed up in her mother’s name.
Numerous Brussels prominent figures and party members attended the funeral. For example, Mayor Philippe Close, who was Thielemans’ private secretary, and Prime Minister Rudi Vervoort were present, as were Yvan Mayeur, who succeeded Thielemans as mayor at the end of 2013. Their party chairman Paul Magnette was also present, as were the Walloon head of government, Elio Di Rupo, chamber chairman Eliane Tillieux and the Minister of Pensions and Brussels leader Karine Lalieux. Also on the roll were the Brussels PS chairman Ahmed Laaouej and his predecessor, Laurette Onkelinx.
Brussels mayors such as Christos Doulkeridis (Ecolo, Ixelles), Pierre Kompany (cdH, Ganshoren), Boris Dilliès (MR-Uccle) and Olivier Maingain (DéFI, Woluwe-Saint-Lambert) were also present.
Thielemans was mayor for more than 10 years, from 2001 to 2013. He died last Saturday in a retirement home in the Brussels borough of Neder-Over-Heembeek. Thielemans had been struggling with his health for some time, after a fall from the stairs in his house a few years ago.