The two parties at opposite ends of the Flemish political spectrum, Vlaams Belang (1st) and the PTB (4th), continue to gain ground, the latest VRT/De Standaard poll shows.
The socialists of Vooruit (3rd) confirm their good form, behind second-placed Nieuw-Vlaamse Alliantie (N-VA). The Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams (CD&V) party and Open Vld are below the 10% mark; and Groen is still falling, according to the poll, published on Friday.
Most of the gaps are small and within the margin of error, but in this 'De Stemming 2023' poll, both the Liberals (9.3%) and Christian Democrats (9.2%) are now weaker than the PTB (Workers’ Party, far left), which stands at 9.5% – up from 9.1% in the same poll last year.
The CD&V fared slightly better than in 2022 (8.7%). Not so Groen: the environmentalists managed to glean 9.4% last year, but have now dropped to 7.9%.
The far right leads the pack in Flanders: Vlaams Belang potentially attracts 24.6% of voters in the north of the country, up from 22.9% in last year’s poll.
Vooruit continues to rise. Its popularity has increased by almost 1.5% and now stands at 17%, a solid jump from its 2019 election result of 10.1%.
The N-VA is second, at 21%, 1.4 points below its 2022 poll result. Its president, Bart De Wever, is the most popular political figure in Flanders. However, when the 2,000 respondents to the poll were asked which personality best represented them, 31% answered “nobody.”
Bart De Wever was the choice of 12.5%, followed by Vooruit chairman Conner Rousseau (10.4%), Prime Minister Alexander De Croo (Open Vld, 7.4%) and Vlaams Belang chairman Tom Van Grieken (7.1%).
Trailing behind them were PTB president Raoul Hedebouw (5th, 3.7%) and CD&V minister Hilde Crevits, (6th, 2.5%).
The highest placed Groen personality was Deputy Prime Minister Petra De Sutter (10th, 1%).
