Team Fouad Ahidar

{{Infobox political party

| name = Team Fouad Ahidar

| logo = Team Fouad Ahidar Logo.png

| logo_size = 150

| colorcode = {{Party color|Team Fouad Ahidar}}

| abbreviation = TFA

| foundation = {{start date and age|2024|02|09|df=y}}

| ideology = Muslim interests
Multiculturalism
Anti-Zionism

| headquarters = Lombardstraat 69, 1000 Brussels

| split = Vooruit

| international =

| european = Free Palestine Party

| symbol = 100px

| native_name =

| leader = Fouad Ahidar

| youth_wing =

| membership =

| membership_year =

| position = Centre-left

| seats1_title = Chamber of Representatives

| seats1 = {{Composition bar|0|150|{{Party color|Team Fouad Ahidar}}}}

| seats2_title = Senate

| seats2 = {{Composition bar|0|60|{{Party color|Team Fouad Ahidar}}}}

| seats3_title = Flemish Parliament

| seats3 = {{Composition bar|1|124|{{Party color|Team Fouad Ahidar}}}}

| seats4_title = Walloon Parliament

| seats4 = {{Composition bar|0|75|h{{Party color|Team Fouad Ahidar}}}}

| seats5_title = Brussels Parliament

| seats5 = {{Composition bar|3|17|{{Party color|Team Fouad Ahidar}}}}{{small|Flemish seats}}

| seats6_title = Parliament of the French Community

| seats6 = {{Composition bar|0|94|{{Party color|Team Fouad Ahidar}}}}

| seats7_title = European Parliament

| seats7 = {{Composition bar|0|22|{{Party color|Team Fouad Ahidar}}}}

| seats8_title = Benelux Parliament

| seats8 = {{Composition bar|0|21|{{Party color|Team Fouad Ahidar}}}}

| colours = {{Color box|{{Party color|Team Fouad Ahidar}}|border=silver}} Purple

| website = {{URL|https://fouadahidar.com/}}

| country = Belgium

}}

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

==Establishment==

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,{{Cite web |last=NWS |first=VRT |date=2023-10-02 |title=Vooruit-voorzitter Conner Rousseau wordt donderdag verhoord over mogelijk racistische uitlatingen |url=https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2023/10/02/onderzoek-rousseau/ |access-date=2024-06-20 |website=vrtnws.be |language=nl}} Ahidar resigned from the party in December 2023.{{Cite web |title=Brussels MP Fouad Ahidar leaves Vooruit: 'I am deeply appalled by the many blunders, the convictions for racism and sexism' |url=https://ground.news/article/brussels-mp-fouad-ahidar-leaves-vooruit-i-am-deeply-appalled-by-the-many-blunders-the-convictions-for-racism-and-sexism |access-date=2024-06-20 |website=Ground News |language=en}} In February 2024, he announced that he would present his own list in the Dutch-speaking electoral college in Brussels for the 2024 regional elections.{{Cite web |title=Fouad Ahidar trekt Gewestlijst voor 'Team Fouad Ahidar' |url=https://www.bruzz.be/actua/politiek/fouad-ahidar-trekt-gewestlijst-voor-team-fouad-ahidar-2024-02-09 |access-date=2024-06-20 |website=www.bruzz.be |language=nl}}

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

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, {{ill|Najima El Arbaoui|nl}} and {{ill|Ilyas El Omari (1989)|nl|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 {{ill|M'Hamed Kasmi|nl}} in the electoral area of the Brussels members of the Flemish Parliament.

After the election, Vooruit MP {{Ill|Hannelore Goeman|nl}} claimed that the party's success was based on "fake news and lies".{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2024-06-11 |title=Socialist MP claims Team Fouad Ahidar’s success was thanks to a “campaign full of lies and fake news” |url=https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/en/2024/06/11/socialist-mp-claims-team-fouad-ahidars-success-was-thanks-to-a-c/ |access-date=2024-06-20 |website=vrtnws.be |language=en}} The Reformist Movement and DéFI both stated they would not form a Brussels government with Team Fouad Ahidar, effectively relegating the party to opposition.{{Cite web |last=Chini |first=Maïthé |date=18 June 2024 |title='Unprecedented': MR and DéFi veto newcomer Team Fouad Ahidar in Brussels Government |url=https://www.brusselstimes.com/1099075/unprecedented-mr-and-defi-veto-newcomer-team-fouad-ahidar-in-brussels-government |access-date=2024-06-20 |website=www.brusselstimes.com |language=en}}

Controversy

Party founder Ahidar described the 7 October Hamas-led attack on Israel as "a minor reaction by part of Hamas".{{Cite web |date=2023-11-09 |title=Brussels MP Fouad Ahidar minimises Hamas attack |url=https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/en/2023/11/09/brussels-mp-ahidar-vooruit-minimises-hamas-attack/ |access-date=2024-12-28 |website=www.vrt.be |language=en}}

Election results

=Chamber of Representatives=

class="wikitable" style="text-align:right;"
Election

! Leader

! Votes

! %

! Seats

! +/-

! Government

2024

| Fouad Ahidar

| 24,826

| 0.36

| {{Composition bar|0|150|hex= {{Party color|Team Fouad Ahidar}}}}

| New

| {{no|Extra-parliamentary}}

=Regional=

==Brussels Parliament==

class="wikitable" style="text-align:right;"
Election

! Leader

! Votes

! %

! Seats

! +/-

! Government

2024 (Dutch language group)

| Fouad Ahidar

| 13,242

| 16.47

| {{Composition bar|3|17|hex= {{Party color|Team Fouad Ahidar}}}}

| New

| {{no2|Opposition}}

==Flemish Parliament==

class="wikitable" style="text-align:right;"
Election

! Leader

! Votes

! %

! Seats

! +/-

! Government

2024

| Fouad Ahidar

| 14,187

| 0.32

| {{Composition bar|1|124|hex= {{Party color|Team Fouad Ahidar}}}}

| New

| {{no2|Opposition}}

References