Green MP Jeremie Vaneeckhout walks in the night of Tuesday 21 to Wednesday 22 December, in temperatures below freezing, from Mechelen to the Flemish Parliament in Brussels.

Together with more than fifty other brave walkers, he draws attention to mental well-being with his Warmest Walk. Among others, Green chairwoman Meyrem Almaci, Flemish member of parliament Staf Aerts and future alderman of Mechelen, Rina Rabau, are joining. Vaneeckhout calls his walk – which he organizes in the context of De Warmste Week – a plea for vulnerability. Young people in particular have been struggling lately, as was shown by a recent survey by Groen among more than 500 Gen Z'ers. 'A large part of our young people are not happy. That should alarm us all,' says Vaneeckhout. 'Whereas in the past young people were usually the most optimistic generation, that is no longer the case at all.' It is no coincidence that the date for the Warmest Walk is 22 December. Vaneeckhout is taking a series of proposals on mental well-being from Mechelen to Brussels for the Flemish government. It will start on 22 December with the budget talks for 2022. Vaneeckhout: 'A collection campaign such as De Warmste Week is useful, but should never be a substitute for good policy. With the proposals we are presenting to the Flemish government, we are reaching out to them to finally start investing in the well-being of our next generation.' Thanks to the theme of De Warmste Week - 'we can be you' - mental well-being is high on the agenda this month. In addition to the Warmest Walk, Groen also sells 'goat wool socks' this month. The proceeds of the sale are doubled by the party and go entirely to De Warmste Week. Practical The Warmest Walk starts during the night of 21 to 22 December at 0.05 am. The walkers gather at 23.30 at the Ask-Me-Anything sofa at the Haverwerf in Mechelen. On arrival around 6 o'clock there is breakfast at Groen in Brussels, and then around 8 o'clock with the package of proposals to the budget discussions in the Flemish parliament. The press is cordially invited to attend.