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Vlaams Belang (English: Flemish Interest) is a right-wing Belgian political party. It supports Flemish independence, restricted immigration, and free market economics. Opponents see it as far-right (see an article by Eric Defoort for one view on this subject).

Vlaams Belang was formed in 2004 by members of the now defunct Vlaams Blok (English: Flemish Block), which was condemned by the High Court for permanent incitation to discrimination and racism in November 2004. Members of the Vlaams Belang party and other conservatives, such as the law professor Matthias Storme, as well as some non-conservative Flemish people, see it as a political trial inspired by the Belgian establishment, which would not have been possible were it not for amendments to laws carried out in the preceding years.

Changes to the party platform have been made to allow it to comply with the law and the motto of Vlaams Blok, Eigen volk eerst ("Our own people first"), has been dropped.

Vlaams Belang, and the former Vlaams Blok is a very divisive issue in Belgium, particularly in Flanders. One response to Vlaams Belang has been attempts to cut state funding for the party. However, this is viewed by some as being counter-productive (see an article by Bart Brinckman for one view on this subject).

Policies

Vlaams Belang advocates independence for Flanders and strict limitations on immigration. It is a leading force in the militant wing of the Flemish movement and is a Euronationalist party.

Some of the main points in its platform include:

• Independence for Flanders. One stated reason for this is financial transfers between Flanders and Wallonia (the other part of Belgium) which Vlaams Belang considers to be unjustified. Vlaams Belang also worries about consequences for the Belgian employment cost.
• Increase child benefits including provisions which allow one parent, if both employed, to remain at home for the benefit of education for their child or children. This is aimed at increasing the birth rate.
• Reform of the pension system based upon investment funds. The Belgian state pension system is currently performing the worst out of all Western European countries.
• Preserve the current education system. The 2003 Pisa Report places it as best out of those it reviewed.
• Block Turkey from joining the European Union.
• Repeal anti-racism and anti-discrimination legislation on the grounds of free speech.
• Repeal the 2003 Belgian nuclear power exit by 2025 legislation on the grounds of a lower cost. The only alternative being to build new nuclear power plants in France, which would cost a multiple of simply revamping the existing Belgian plants for a new 40 years cycle.
• Free market economic policies, such as limiting government intervention. It also advocates a flat tax.
• Vlaams Belang wants to abolish the Belgian trade unions’ pay-counter function for unemployment benefits.

It has dropped the policy of the return of all non-European immigrants in favour of one which states that only those who fail to assimilate must return. It sees the islamisation of Europe as a frightening historical process. It also dropped a policy advocating a federation with the Netherlands in favour of closer co-operation.

Members

Some members, such as Roeland Raes have been accused of being Nazi sympathizers. See The Guardian article 'Belgium's far right party in Holocaust controversy ' for more information. However there are conflicting sources, such as (in Dutch) this Standaard.be article. Roeland Raes was charged with historical revisionism in accordance with the Belgian Negationism Law, specifically for uttering the following controversial sentence: “whether it was planned (before the war, thus ahead of the Wannsee Conference) that they should all die during the war is another question”, however he has not been found guilty. During the interview, Raes also had no doubts about the systematic persecution and deportation of the Jews by the Germans.

• Gerolf Annemans
• Lode Claes
• Filip De Man
• Filip Dewinter
• Karel Dillen
• Koen Dillen, son of Karel Dillen
• Marie-Rose Morel
• Roeland Raes
• Anke Vandermeersch, Miss Belgium 1991 and finalist at Miss Universe 1992.
• Frank Vanhecke

Contacts with other parties in Europe

• In France with Le Pen’s Front National. On issues like immigration there is a common ground, but Vlaams Belang is not identifying itself with Le Pen. Vlaams Belang doesn’t like Le Pen’s typically French views of centralisation, his anti-Americanism and absolutely not his anti-Jewish provocations and his biased political position against Israel. In Vlaams Belang’s view, just as most French politicians, Le Pen has the disastrous illusion that it’s France’s destiny to have a special, privileged relation with the Islamic world. Vlaams Belang also repeatedly denounced arsons against synagogues and violence and racist insults against Jewish people and Raoul Wallenberg, who saved tens of thousands of Hungarian Jews is an example for Vlaams Belang.
• In Austria with Haider’s FPÖ. The same common ground on immigration, but Vlaams Belang dissociates itself from Haider’s kowtowing to dictators such as Saddam Houssein or Khadaffi.
• In the Netherlands, Vlaams Belang participates in a common think tank, called Marnix van Sint-Aldegonde, with the Dutch parliamentary "Group Nawijn". Dutch MP Hilbrand Nawijn formerly member of the LPF-parliamentary group of the deceased Pim Fortuyn, plans to form a new Dutch political party, with common ideas.

External links

• Official web page
• Official Vlaams Belang party manifesto
• Vdare.com: Anti-Immigration Party Banned In Belgium November 09, 2004
• Today we were executed. But we will rise: message by Vanhecke, VB's president, November 09, 2004

News articles

• BBC News: Blow to Belgium's far right 9 November, 2004
• The Telegraph: Flemish party banned as racist by Belgium's high court 10 November, 2004
• The Washington Times: Analysis: Makeover for Flemish far-right November 15, 2004
• The Washington Times: The emerging ‘Eurabia’ February 18, 2005
• TIME: Life On The Front Lines: In Antwerp, the far right is facing off against muslims. Who's winning? Vol.165 No.9 | February 28, 2005
• Haaretz: Between Haider and a Hard Place - Wednesday 31 August, 2005 (discussed at American Renaissance )

• Belgian political parties-Flanders
• Right-wing populists
• Euronationalist parties