Antoinette Pecher is standing as an independent on the list of the outgoing socialist mayor Patrick Janssens. The 85-year-old baroness features on the 44th place and has little chance of being elected, but she says that she wanted to seize the opportunity to defend the interests of Antwerp's seniors.

The City List backs plans for the construction for 1,100 flats with sheltered accommodation for the elderly as well as service centres. In this way Antwerp seniors will be able to remain in a familiar environment as long as possible.

Antoinette Pecher is enthusiastic about Mayor Janssens's City List initiative that is supposed to supersede party boundaries: "I'm a liberal and that is what I shall remain" she confided to newsmen.