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- Mayor, City of Mechelen
- Bart Somers (°1964) is mayor of Mechelen since 2001 and one of the longest-serving and most innovative city leaders in Flanders. He is known for forward-looking policies on social cohesion, security, and urban development, which earned him the title of World Mayor in 2016. In addition to his mayoral role, he served as Minister-President of Flanders (2003–2004), Deputy Minister-President and Flemish Minister for Living Together and Local Government (2019–2023), and as leader of the Flemish liberal party Open Vld (2004–2009). Since 2023, he has fully dedicated himself again to his city. Mechelen, as a human rights city, puts its values into practice through a twinning with the Ukrainian city of Lviv, strengthening solidarity and cooperation across borders.
