The municipal council meeting in Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve began with the attendance of four KU Leuven students for their academic French course. Mayor Nicolas Van der Maren (Impulsion C) greeted them in Dutch, asking council members to speak at a moderate pace.
The 2025 administrative report from the municipal administration was presented. Councillor Coralie Vial (Ecolo) noted a lack of important data, making comparisons with previous years difficult, and suggested a less off-putting title for the document, which she found "super interesting." Councillor for Personnel, Nancy Schroeders (Impulsion C), defended the report's conciseness, describing it as "a document that reports on the administration's work, not a statistical tool."
Alderman for Finance Cedric du Monceau (Impulsion C) sought approval for the second budget modification (MB2) for 2026, showing a slight surplus of over €400,000. He highlighted efforts in cost monitoring and reorganization that allowed for no increase in personal income tax or property tax. The minority, represented by councillor Philippe Delvaux (Ecolo), criticized a tax hike and requested information on recent staff dismissals and the membership in the Cercle du Lac. The alderman clarified that the increased tax affects non-residents and that the Cercle du Lac membership aims to support economic development. Councillor Nancy Schroeders stated that the impact of dismissals would be absorbed in 2026.
Regarding the Centre school, Alderman for Education Benoît Jacob (Impulsion C) reported 1346 students in the municipal network as of September 30, a decrease of about 150 since 2022 due to declining birth rates. He proposed administratively transferring the Céroux nursery school to the Centre school to save the latter, which has 131 students and falls short of the 140 required by the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles. Discussions are underway for a potential merger with the ARO high school in Ottignies. Councillor Corentin Roland (Ecolo) questioned the urgency, while the mayor mentioned past difficulties and an ongoing criminal investigation as possible reasons for student departures.
The title of honorary citizen was proposed for Iranian activist Narges Mohammadi, Nobel Peace Prize laureate 2023, for her human rights advocacy. Mayor also announced the "Chemins d’Humanité" event on December 10, featuring Russian journalist Marina Ovsiannikova, already an honorary citizen.
The council also discussed the municipality's position on the Walloon pesticide reduction program and a point on waste management.
