The Flemish far-right Vlaams Belang party in the municipality of Schoten (Antwerp) is offering a shuttle service to the polling station for people with limited mobility on Sunday 13 October – something that parties are not allowed to do.
Vlaams Belang's list leader in Schoten and national leader Tom Van Grieken previously announced that the party would be offering this service on Flemish television on Friday. However, this is not allowed.
"For candidates, there is a ban on giving gifts to voters. Such a gift does not have to be material, it can also be a service, such as arranging transport in this case," Pieterjan Rynwalt of the Agency for Domestic Affairs said. In case of such a gift, other candidates can go to the Council for Electoral Disputes to file a complaint. "The penalties can range from fines to suspensions or the expiry of mandates."
'Canvassing for votes'
The move is striking, as it was reported on Tuesday that Vlaams Belang in Turnhout (Antwerp) filed a complaint with the Public Prosecutor's Office against the municipality's current mayor Paul Van Miert (N-VA) for offering such a free shuttle service to the polling station – which Vlaams Belang called "canvassing for votes."
In the meantime, Van Miert admitted that the party was in the wrong and the shuttle service would not be provided.
While political parties are not allowed to arrange a free shuttle to the polling stations, municipalities and residential care centres are allowed to do so.
