Right-wing party succeeds in Belgian parliamentary vote.
During the recent Belgian parliamentary elections, votes were distributed among numerous parties, leading to a complex process of forming a government. The N-VA, a right-wing party, emerged as the clear winner. Their leader is now eager to engage in open conversations with the extreme right.
As Europe moves closer to the right, Belgium is following suit. The Flemish party N-VA, which pushes for autonomy in the economically stronger region of Flanders, has managed to retain its position as the strongest force. They garnered nearly 17% of the votes, according to the Interior Ministry.
The radical right-wing Vlaams Belang of Flanders secured almost 14% of the votes - over two points more than they achieved in the previous parliamentary election in 2019. Both nationalist parties performed well in the concurrent European election, with results that largely mirrored those of the national election. The incumbent prime minister, Alexander De Croo, announced his resignation in accordance with Belgian tradition after the vote.
Bart De Wever, the party leader for N-VA, stated they would initiate contact with other political parties to form a coalition as quickly as possible to "extricate Belgium from the muck of the budget and significantly transform it." The country has a high debt-to-GDP ratio relative to other European countries. In addition to the country's financial situation, the decline in purchasing power of Belgian citizens, energy policy, crime, and immigration were critical issues during the campaign.
Prime Minister Resigns
Initially, a Flemish-national government coalition was deemed impossible, with De Wever rejecting a coalition with the Vlaams Belang. On Sunday night, he expressed a willingness to converse with all parties, including the Vlaams Belang, " openly." Prior to the election, several polls had placed the Vlaams Belang in the lead.
The complex process of forming a government in Belgium is hindered by the fact that most parties operate only in either the French-speaking Wallonia or the Dutch-speaking Flanders. This makes it challenging for a government to be formed between the two regions. In the last coalition, known as Vivaldi, it took around 16 months to forge a partnership composed of seven parties: the Greens, Liberals, and Social Democrats from both regions, as well as the Christian Democrats from Flanders. In light of the new election results, various possibilities are now on the table.
On the left side of the political spectrum, there's cause for celebration in the Kingdom. The far-left party PTB/PVDA saw an increase of 1.2 percentage points and reached almost 9.8%. The liberal party Open VLD, led by Flemish Prime Minister De Croo, suffered significant losses and could only garner around 5.5% (minus 3.1 percentage points). De Croo tearfully announced on Sunday evening that he would inform King Philippe on Monday of his resignation-an obligation as per the constitution. The current government will continue to serve until a new one is formed.
The Greens experienced losses in both regions of the country. The Christian Democrats suffered election setbacks in Flanders but gained them in Wallonia. The trend was reversed for the Social Democrats. A total of approximately eight million Belgian women and men were called upon to cast their votes. Voting is mandatory in Belgium, and non-voters who failed to vote for a lawful reason are subject to a penalty.
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In the aftermath of the Belgian parliamentary elections, the Flemish party N-VA, which advocates for autonomy in prosperous Flanders, maintained its dominance, obtaining nearly 17% of the votes. Similarly, Wallonia witnessed the success of its political parties in the elections, albeit in a different context.
The coalition talks following the elections in both Flanders and Wallonia may prove to be challenging, considering the diverse political landscape and the historical divide between the two regions.
