Flemish far-right party Vlaams Belang scored better in municipalities where more people without university degrees live, while environmentalist Groen did better in places with more highly-educated people, data from Belgian statistical agency Statbel shows.
The far-right party scored well throughout Flanders, and was the largest party in three of the five provinces. Overall, around one in five Flemish people voted for the party; its electorate cannot simply be reduced to less or non-educated people.
Yet, there is a striking correlation between education levels and Vlaams Belang votes: in municipalities where more people without a higher education live, Vlaams Belang received more votes. "We also see this link in other countries," political scientist Dieter Stiers (KU Leuven) told VRT.
Less interest, fewer resources
"There are several reasons for this," he explained. "A possible explanation is that people in professions where there are no specific diploma requirements feel more threatened by labour migration. They also give more priority to economic security than to climate policy, for example. And then you quickly arrive at a party like Vlaams Belang."
While Vlaams Belang also won votes in the cities and municipalities with the largest share of highly-educated residents, the difference in the election result with the rest of Flanders is remarkable. Just as in 2019, the Vlaams Belang score in municipalities with many highly-educated people is 50% lower than in municipalities where few people have a higher diploma.
Municipalities where Vlaams Belang exceeds the 30% mark also often appear to be municipalities where more people without a higher education live, data analysis by De Tijd showed. Consider, for example, West Flemish rural municipalities such as Ichtegem, Houthulst, Moorslede and Langemark-Poelkapelle.
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Stiers added that it is not always easy for people who are not highly-educated to follow politics closely. "This does not only have to do with knowledge and interest, but also the fact that they often do not have the time or resources. If then a radical party comes up with simple solutions, such as Vlaams Belang, it is easy to join."
Conversely, the higher the share of highly-educated people in a municipality, the higher right-wing N-VA scored. The election results for Groen and Open VLD were also noticeably better in places where more people had pursued higher education, despite the hits that both parties received.
Vooruit also managed to broaden its base among the highly-educated: compared to 2019, the party is making the most progress in places with more highly-educated people. In and around the university city of Leuven, the gains are considerable, while the district of Ghent is the only one in Flanders where Vooruit is the largest party of all at the Flemish level.
