in the municipal election of 14 October 2018, outgoing Councillor Collins Nweke had come to their rescue by accepting to sign the relevant acts. Considering the Right-Wing roots of the new party, some of Collins Nweke's party colleagues and many Left-Wing supporters could not understand the rationale behind his decision. In a public statement issued on 24 September 2018, Collins Nweke admitted that he is no ideological bedfellow of the new party but that it is not about him. As a democrat he believes that the participation of the new party in the election is a deepening of the local democracy, a new choice for the citizens. Ferry services On 24 October 2014, Collins was the only councillor out of 41 who joined a consortium of civil society organisations for a trip to Ramsgate and Canterbury (United Kingdom) agitating for the resumption of ferry services between Ostend and England. In a statement on social media after the trip, he questioned the source of economic optimism of the City of Ramsgate and wondered why the mayor of Ostend was pessimistic about business prospects for the city. 2014 campaign for Member of the European Parliament After a successful primary election and selection as candidate, Collins Nweke began his campaign as Green Party candidate for Member European Parliament in February 2014 for the election of 25 May 2014. The focus of his campaign was on Poverty & Social Exclusion, Social Economy, Employment (special employment measures and policies), Internationalization, Energy Poverty, Solidarity Mechanisms, Africa Trade Relations and Effective human capital management. Nweke was not elected, winning 11,803 votes although his Green Party colleague, the incumbent member, Bart Staes, was re-elected. On 10 November 2014 Collins Nweke convened and inaugurated the Africa Social Policy Reform Summit at the European Parliament, hosted by Bart Staes. National strike December 2014 He participated in solidarity with trade unionists in the national strike of 15 December 2014 subsequently publishing an article Cutting Close to the Bones of Workers under his Socio-Economic Policy Briefing series on his website. Other positions Nweke is a member of the board of directors of Ostend's SOE, House of the Economy, Member Management Board, Tourism Board Ostend Member Advisory Board WestKans (Province of West Flanders) Bureau Accessibility Policy, of the Governing Board Equal Education Opportunities (GOK) for disadvantaged children, and of the Ostend Commission on Crime & Prevention. See also Green party Green politics List