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Vlaams Blok was the name of a Belgian far-right and secessionist political party with an anti-immigration platform. Its ideologies embraced Flemish nationalism, calling for the independence of Flanders. The party originated from split within the Volksunie (VU) party after the right-wing separatist and national conservative wing became disgruntled with the compromise of accepting Belgian federalism over Flemish interests, and what they saw as the VU's move to the left. The former VU members created the Flemish National Party (VNP) and the Flemish People's Party (VVP) which formed an electoral alliance called Vlaams Blok in 1978, before merging to create Vlaams Blok as a political party in 1979. Vlaams Blok was the most notable militant right wing of the Flemish movement and its track record in the Flemish and Belgian parliament elections was strong, making it one of the most successful nationalist parties in Western Europe and it ultimately surpassed the People's Union in support. The party initially focused solely on the issues of Flemish autonomy and political freedom, which remained its core philosophy, but subsequently gained wider public support through broadening its campaigns to include immigration and law-and-order themes.
The New Flemish Alliance is a Flemish nationalist, conservative political party in Belgium. The party was founded in 2001 by the right-leaning fraction of the centrist-nationalist People's Union (VU). The N-VA is a regionalist, separatist movement that self-identifies with the promotion of civic nationalism. It is part of the Flemish Movement; the party strives for the peaceful and gradual secession of Flanders from Belgium. In recent years it has become the largest party of Flanders as well as of Belgium as a whole, and it participated in the 2014–18 Belgian Government until 9 December 2018.
Flanders is both a cultural community and an economic region within the Belgian state, and has significant autonomy.
Vlaams Belang is a Flemish nationalist, right-wing populist political party in the Flemish Region and Brussels Capital Region of Belgium.
Flemish political parties operate in the whole Flemish Community, which covers the unilingual Flemish Region and the bilingual Brussels-Capital Region. In the latter, they compete with French-speaking parties that all also operate in Wallonia. There are very few parties that operate on a national level in Belgium. Flanders generally tends to vote for right-wing, conservative parties, whereas in French-speaking Belgium the socialist party is usually the most successful one.
The draining law or Belgian dry up law (droogleggingswet) refers to a controversial law passed by the Belgian Federal Parliament in 2005 to cut funding by the federal state to "undemocratic" parties. Due to restrictions against campaign donations from private groups or individuals, Belgian political parties rely mostly on the state for funding.
Gerolf Emma Jozef Annemans is a Belgian politician of the Flemish nationalist party Vlaams Belang (VB) and formerly of its predecessor, the Vlaams Blok. He has been a member of the European Parliament since 2014 and a city councilor in Antwerp since 2000. He served as a member of the Chamber of Representatives from 1987 to 2014 and as a city councilor in Brasschaat from 1994 to 2000. He was the leader of the VB from 2012 to 2014 and led the Vlaams Blok and VB parliamentary groups from 1991 to 2013.
Federal elections were held in Belgium on 25 May 2014. All 150 members of the Chamber of Representatives were elected, whereas the Senate was no longer directly elected following the 2011–2012 state reform. These were the first elections held under King Philippe's reign.
Tom Jozef Irène Van Grieken is a Belgian politician and author who has served as Leader of Vlaams Belang since October 2014.
Federal elections were held in Belgium on 26 May 2019, alongside the country's European and regional elections. All 150 members of the Chamber of Representatives were elected from eleven multi-member constituencies.
Chris Janssens is a Flemish politician for Vlaams Belang, a member of the Flemish Parliament and the current chairman of the VB's faction in the Flemish Parliament.
Guy August Marie-Louise D'haeseleer is a Belgian politician who has served as the Senate leader for Vlaams Belang since 2014 and is chairman of Forza Ninove, the local chapter of Vlaams Belang in the city of Ninove.
Barbara Pas is a Belgian politician and a member of the Chamber of Representatives for Vlaams Belang. Pas previously served as national chairwoman of the Vlaams Belang Jongeren.
Wouter Vermeersch is a Belgian politician from Flanders for the Vlaams Belang party and a member of the Chamber of Representatives.
Annick Ponthier is a Belgian politician who has served as an MP for Vlaams Belang in the Chamber of Representatives since 2019.
Dries Van Langenhove is a Belgian politician, blogger, and activist. He has been the founder and leader of the right-wing, Flemish nationalist youth organization Schild & Vrienden since 2017. In 2019, he was elected to the Chamber of Representatives on the Vlaams Belang ticket despite not being a registered member of the party.
Ellen Samyn is a Belgian-Flemish politician who has served as an MP in the Chamber of Representatives for the Vlaams Belang party since May 2019.
Ortwin Depoortere is a Belgian politician for the Vlaams Belang party who has twice served as a member of the Chamber of Representatives for the VB.
Steven Creyelman is a Belgian-Flemish politician for Vlaams Belang (VB) and since 2019 an MP in the Chamber of Representatives.