Are you undecided or unsure which Belgian party or candidate to vote for in the European elections? You are in the right place.
The European Parliament elections begin today. But fear not, in Belgium all voting takes place on Sunday. This includes federal, regional and European elections. The municipal elections take places in October.
European Union nationals living in Belgium are able to vote in the European elections, giving them a voice to elect their Member of the European Parliament (MEP) at a crucial historical moment.
Before getting started on the candidates, some quick-fire facts. There are three main "lists" divided by language (of course): the Dutch-speaking, French-speaking and German-speaking electoral colleges of Belgium.
People in Brussels can choose which list to vote from between Francophone and Flemish colleges, while the rest of the country will vote according to which region they are in (e.g. Dutch-speaking for those in Flanders).
The number of MEPs in Belgium is assigned according to the most recent population figures. This year, Belgium has been given an extra seat due to population changes.
Out of a total of 22 seats to be contested in Sunday's elections, Dutch-speaking voters elect 13 MEPs, French-speakers 8 MEPs and the German electoral college from East Belgium, elects one MEP.
All parties have presented lists, and according to the proportion of votes won, a certain number of candidates will be elected to the European Parliament.
We have featured each party's leading candidates from the French and Dutch-speaking colleges in Belgium. Read and go vote!
French electoral college
Ecolo
Ecolo lead candidates for the European Parliament Saskia Bricmont and Olivier De Schutter. Credit: Belga
Lead candidate(s): Saskia Bricmont / Olivier De Schutter
Political group: Greens/EFA
Number of MEPs (2019-2024): 2
Saskia Bricmont returns to head the list alongside Olivier De Schutter, who replaces the outgoing veteran MEP Philippe Lamberts. Bricmont was first elected as an MEP in 2019. She is a strong human rights advocate, sitting on civil liberties and international trade committees. Bricmont also held previous jobs as a local councillor in Wallonia, a political advisor and volunteering with Oxfam Magasins de Monde.
De Schutter is a professor who has held key roles at the United Nations. As UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, and now on Poverty, he has helped governments move forward on agroecology and decent wages. De Schutter has taught at Columbia University and Yale in the United States, and at KU Leuven in Belgium.
Key quote: "The power of money is crushing women, men and the planet. But nothing is lost: the alternatives exist, and we have the means to finance them. With you, I want to put all my experience into cooling the planet and warming up solidarity" (Olivier De Schutter).
Ecolo’s main EU priorities:
- A European Green and Social Pact to protect the climate and the environment
- A Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) protecting farmers, consumers, healthy, quality food, without GMOs
- A fair and sustainable trade policy
- A re-industrialisation of Europe by developing the circular and local economy
- Protection of fundamental rights/democracy/LGBTQIA+/women’s rights
DéFI
Fabrice Van Dorpe pictured during a party congress of French-speaking regionalist party DéFI to launch the 2024 elections campaign, Sunday 17 March 2024 in Mons. Credit: Belga / Nicolas Maeterlinck
Lead candidate: Fabrice Van Dorpe
Political group: n/a
Number of MEPs (2019-2024): 0
A newcomer, this is Van Dorpe's first experience of politics. A former professional horse rider and riding instructor, he has competed at the national and international level. DéFI's leading candidate is keen to translate his professional experience in the equestrian world into politics. He is passionate about animal welfare and creating a fairer society. He joined DeFi with a particular focus on public funds and money "thrown out of windows."
Key quote: "At DéFI, we don't tell people what they want to hear, we don't use populist language, but we propose real solutions to citizens."
Defi’s EU priorities:
- A Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) that respects the agricultural world and is part of a sustainable development project.
- Promote and simplify European citizens' initiatives and strengthen the role of the European Committee of the Regions.
- Set up a genuine European defence pillar to complement NATO; create a single market for defence industries and technologies.
- A Europe that is self-sufficient in low-carbon energies.
- Promoting secularism and a Europe free of religious influences.
Les Engagés
Les Engagés' leading candidate for the European elections Yvan Verougstraete delivers a speech at the new year's wishes of French-speaking centre movement Les Engagés, in Namur, Saturday 20 January 2024. Credit: Belga / Laurie Dieffembacq
Lead candidate: Yvan Verougstraete
Political group: European People's Party (EPP)
Number of MEPs (2019-2024): 1
Verougstraete is a newcomer to EU politics. He was voted ‘Manager of the Year’ in 2019 after founding and running the Medi-Market pharmacy group. The former entrepreneur is now putting his career on hold to get involved in politics. Les Engagés’ only MEP Benoit Lutgen is leaving the parliament to run in the federal elections. The party recently admitted it did not feel at home in its parliamentary group, the EPP, over marked differences on climate and migration policy.
Quote: "Running for the European Parliament is not a choice for the end of my political career or a Plan B for Belgian politics. It's my first choice. It's where I want to fight my battles."
Les Engagés’ main EU priorities:
- Strategic autonomy: to rebuild Europe's autonomy in food, health, the army and digital technology.
- Build a genuine common European defence to meet the challenges of the 21st century.
- Establish a truly federal Europe with the election of a President of the European Union by universal suffrage.
- High-speed rail links and night trains between Europe's major cities to compete with the air industry.
Mouvement Reformateur (MR)
MR's Sophie Wilmes delivers a speech at the program congress of French-speaking liberal party MR (Mouvement Reformateur), Sunday 04 February 2024, in Marche-en-Femenne. Credit: Belga / Anthony Dehez
Lead candidate: Sophie Wilmès
European Parliament group: Renew Europe
Number of MEPs (2019-2024): 2
One of the biggest names on the European lists, former Belgian Prime Minister Sophie Wilmès was selected as MR's leading candidate after European Council President Charles Michel made a U-turn on his MEP election campaign. Wilmès took a step back from frontline politics to care for her ill husband in 2022, and is returning for the 2024 elections to help MR in Europe.
She is running as MEP because the decisions taken at European level are fundamental to the day-to-day lives of Belgians, and she is concerned with the "rise of the extremes." Wilmès is replacing outgoing MEP Frédérique Ries. Previous MEP Olivier Chastel is running for re-election.
Quote: "I didn't wait for this moment to know that I've always had an interest in Europe. Not only as Prime Minister, but also because I was Minister for European Affairs and Foreign Affairs. We can also see from the farmers' complicated situation that European issues are fundamental for each and every one of us."
MR’s main EU priorities:
- An ambitious industrial policy to strengthen strategic and energy autonomy and the competitiveness of Belgium and the EU
- Continue negotiating and signing international treaties to lower customs and tariff barriers
- A Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) which limits unfair competition between European producers
- Achieve strategic food autonomy and preserve agriculture
- A more integrated, liberal and efficient European Union that is also fairer and more protective.
Socialist Party (PS)
Lead candidate: Elio Di Rupo
Political group: Socialists & Democrats (S&D)
Number of MEPs (2019-2024): 1 (Maria Arena, and Marc Tarabella until 2022)
Walloon Minister-President Elio Di Rupo delivers a speech at a congress of French-speaking socialist party PS during the campaign for the 2024 elections, Saturday 01 June 2024 in Liege. Credit: Belga / Bruno Fahy
The bow-tied Walloon political veteran (another former PM) is making a foray into European politics. Di Rupo was the world's first openly gay man to be head of government in modern times when he led Belgium between 2011-14.
He is Wallonia’s current Minister-President and is leading a greatly weakened European list for the PS in the aftermath of the Qatargate corruption scandal – which involved Marc Tarabella, later kicked out of the party. The other MEP, Maria Arena, was investigated but not charged, and is also standing down at these elections.
For 2024, Di Rupo says he wants a "fair" Europe, with the security of European citizens to be an "absolute" priority. The second priority is the fight against inequality, putting on the table a wealth tax and the fight against tax fraud.
PS’ main EU priorities
- Defending the rule of law in the EU, and extending the Belgian cordon sanitaire on the far-right to the EU
- Strengthening the EU's strategic autonomy while solidifying its social and economic foundations
- Re-industrialising to guarantee jobs, including through the green transition
- European strategy for public services: legislative framework that ensures that EU competition rules can still guarantee access to good quality services (particularly healthcare)
- Taxing large fortunes at the European level and combating tax competition at the European and global level
Belgian Workers Party (PTB)
Marc Botenga MEP and Sophie Lecron, the French-speaking PTB's leading EU candidates. Credit: European Parliament / Belga
Lead candidate(s): Marc Botenga and Sophie Lecron
Political group: The Left
Number of MEPs (2019-2024): 1
Brussels native Marc Botenga is the left-wing party's first-ever and only MEP, elected in 2019. Botenga has long worked in the field of international solidarity. During his time, he has taken on the European Commission and the power of multinationals, and is the spokesperson for social movements and trade unions in the Parliament. While being a strong advocate for Palestinian rights, he is the only Belgian MEP to have proposed a diplomatic solution to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Sophie Lecron comes from the voluntary sector through various after-school care associations and cultural groups. She is a qualified secondary school teacher and has been teaching science for 14 years. With PTB, she has been group leader on the Liège Municipal Council, where she has been a member since 2012.
Quote: "The traditional MEPs and European Commissioners couldn't care less. Mrs Von der Leyen earns €30,000 a month. She doesn't know what it means not to be able to pay a bill. We have taken up this fight." (Marc Botenga).
PTB main EU priorities:
- Against austerity: investing in public services, opposing state aid and public monopolies,
- Fighting the austerity rules of the recently-passed EU Stability Pact which will lead to €100 billion a year in budget cuts.
- Taxing millionaires and the excess profits of multinationals, fighting tax evasion and fraud, stricter banking controls
- Against social dumping, fighting for quality jobs and worker’s rights and strong public services (healthcare, mobility etc) at the EU level.
- Regain control of energy prices and supply, and guarantee access to transition technologies
- Redirecting the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) away from mainly benefiting big business, towards the transition to agro-ecology.
Gauche Anticapitaliste
Leading candidates for Gauche Anticapitaliste Sophie Thomas and Denis Verstraeten, as well as Philippe Poutou. Credit: Belga
Lead candidate(s): Denis Verstraeten / Charlotte Thomas
This fringe revolutionary party is allied with PTB in the federal and regional elections, but is presenting its own list for the European elections (French-speaking college). Among them is the former French leftist presidential candidate Philippe Poutou, who joins the Belgian chapter of the French party he leads back home.
Out of the leading candidates, Denis Verstraeten is a maths teacher in a working-class neighbourhood and climate activist, and Charlotte Thomas, union delegate and worker at Delhaize (a supermarket that went on strike in 2023 following its franchising policy). One key difference with PTB is they are openly pro-Ukraine, but otherwise their policies are similar.
Quote: "A radical anti-capitalist message that embraces the break with the past and carries a profoundly ecological voice. We don't believe in transforming society through elections, but this period allows us to raise our profile."
Gauche Anticapitaliste main EU priorities
- Provide political outlets for their struggles and bring them together to strike against the capitalist system
- Drastic reduction of working hours to solidarity with peoples in struggle around the world, via the socialisation of energy, banks and insurance,
- Disarmament and defunding of the police massive investment in the fight against gender violence
The full list of candidates:
French-speaking electoral college for the European elections.
Dutch-speaking college
Flemish Christian Democrats (CD&V)
Former Flemish Health Minister Wouter Beke. Credit: Belga
Lead candidate: Wouter Beke
Parliamentary Group: European People's Party (EPP)
Number of MEPs (2019-2024): 1
Beke took his first steps in Belgian politics some 25 years ago and held a number of positions throughout his career. In 2019, he became Flemish Minister for Welfare and Public Health and guided the region through the Covid-19 pandemic.
He resigned as minister following the death of a baby in a crèche, but remained mayor and MP. He became active in the Finance Committee where he emerged as a budget specialist and also followed the Defence Committee, the Military Foreign Missions Monitoring Committee and the Army Acquisitions Committee.
Key quote: "Only Europe can ensure our future: our security with its own defence, our food and energy security as well as our European values, and we can protect our external borders."
CD&V's EU priorities:
- Ensuring the necessary strengthening of EU capacity to defend and guard the EU's external borders together with Member States.
- Deeper cooperation with countries of origin and transit in various policy areas
- Information collected by the security services of different Member States should be compared and used more in the fight against crime
- More cooperation between authorities working on terrorism and asylum and migration authorities
- A strong directive that can effectively tackle gender-based violence at European level
Groen
Flemish greens Groen's leading candidate Sara Matthieu. Credit: EP Photo
Lead candidate: Sara Matthieu
Parliamentary Group: Greens/EFA
Number of MEPs (2019-2024): 1
Matthieu has been an MEP for Groen since 2020, replacing Petra De Sutter resigned her mandate to join the government of Prime Minister Alexander De Croo. She is committed to a fair climate policy that includes everyone. In the European Parliament, she is the coordinator of the Employment and Social Affairs committee, as is a member of the International Trade and Environment, Public Health and Food Safety committees. She is also a city councillor in Ghent.
During her years as an MEP, she has been fighting for a social Europe and a fair climate policy. She is also vocal on tackling the huge amounts of waste and advocating for products to last longer and be repairable. Matthieu is also a strong campaigner for human rights, from fighting racism and sexism to advocating for refugees and the LGBTQ rights.
Key quote: "The Green Deal, the Nature Restoration Act: as Greens, we have weighed in on European in recent years and we are determined to do so in the years to come. I fight for a Europe that supports people who are struggling in the climate transition. Fair opportunities, that is a fair income and decent work for all."
Groen's EU priorities:
- A stronger European democracy, with a greater role for the European Parliament, a European constituency, and more direct participation for citizens
- An end to the veto rights of individual member states when making European laws
- Respect for the rule of law in all member states. If not, no European subsidies or voting rights in the Council
- Protection and strengthening of European climate agreements: at least 95% CO2 reduction by 2040 (compared to 1990)
- Ambitious investment policy: €520 billion of additional public and private investment in the EU
- A larger EU budget, focused on a strong green economy and world-class public services
N-VA
Belgian MEP Johan Van Overtveldt (N-VA). Credit: European Union
Lead candidate: Johan Van Overtveldt
Parliamentary Group: European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR)
Number of MEPs (2019-2024): 3
Van Overtveldt started his career as a journalist, switched to the corporate world, and later returned to journalism to become editor-in-chief at Trends and Knack.
In 2013, he made the switch to politics and started working as an economic advisor for N-VA. He was elected as an MEP in 2014. When the Federal Government was formed later that year, he became Belgium's Finance Minister, which he remained until the government fell in December 2018.
In the European Parliament, he is coordinator of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) and chair of the Committee on Budgets (BUDG). At the start of this year, N-VA said they "no longer felt at home" in the ECR, with rumours suggesting they may join the European People’s Party (EPP),
Key quote: "The European Union must focus on its core tasks: a resolute choice for more prosperity and growth, a fiscal course without debt and extra taxes, and the protection of its citizens and our values and freedoms. Europe must not become a superstate. We do not want more Europe, but a better Europe. It must resolutely choose to create and protect our prosperity, without additional European taxes nor a 'Belgium XL'."
N-VA's main EU priorities:
- Self-determination should be a right for all peoples
- A plan for peace and freedom in Europe
- Creating equality between languages
- A stronger Europe for more jobs, more security and a better migration policy, but European Member States must preserve their identity
Open VLD
Open VLD MEP Hilde Vautmans. Credit: Belga
Lead candidate: Hilde Vautmans
Parliamentary Group: Renew Europe
Number of MEPs (2019-2024): 2
Hilde Vautmans was elected as a federal MP in 2003 and chaired the Foreign Affairs Committee in the House of Representatives. She was elected to the European Parliament in 2015 and was re-elected in 2019. She is a also city councillor in Sint-Truiden (Limburg province). She focuses on foreign affairs, defence, migration, agriculture and human rights with an emphasis on children's and women's rights.
Last month, a dozen of her former employees accused her of misusing European funds, as well as "psychological intimidation." Vautmans herself, however, spoke of "defamatory allegations" and referred to documents that should prove that she has always acted according to the strict rules.
Vautmans' party colleague, Belgian former Prime Minister and EU household name Guy Verhofstadt is also running, for the fourth time now.
Key quote: "Our prosperity and our future lie in Europe. The answer to today's challenges is not less, but more Europe. Less rules, more Europe. We Liberals are the only ones resolutely fighting for that. As Open Vld, we will fight together over the next five years for a stronger, renewed, and liberal Europe."
Open VLD's main EU priorities:
- A stronger EU with more cooperation for free trade, a unified European market, a common climate and energy policy and a social and secure Europe
- A more efficient and decisive EU with simpler and more transparent institutions
- In times of protectionism and trade wars, the EU must remain a leader in international free trade
- The EU must become a geopolitical superpower with military and diplomatic clout and a fully-fledged European army
- Linking the right to European support with respect for democracy and the European rule of law
Belgian Workers Party (PVDA)
PVDA lead candidate Rudi Kennes. Credit: PVDA
Lead candidate: Rudi Kennes
Parliamentary Group: The Left
Number of MEPs (2019-2024): 1
Kennes started his professional career at 15 years old, when he started building machines for wire drawing plants. At 18, he went to work for General Motors Continental, where he started his union work and made it to the position of vice-chairman of GM Europe's European Works Council. If elected, Kennes will be the first labourer from Flanders to go to the European Parliament. The Belgian Workers' Party (PTB-PVDA) is one unified party, but contests both French and Dutch-speaking electoral colleges.
Key quote: "It is the first time a Belgian party can send a labourer to the European Parliament. Today, we mainly hear them speak a language that repels people. This is done deliberately, so people would not understand. We have to bring in the language of the working class. I know that language and I also want to speak it in the European Parliament."
PVDA's main EU priorities:
- Rejecting the European Union's authoritarian budget rules
- Setting up new public energy companies and developing a European energy consortium
- Letting citizens decide on crucial debates through a binding citizens' initiative, in which they can submit a legislative proposal
- Zero tolerance for social dumping: wages and rates of social security contributions should follow those of the country of employment
- An EU-wide millionaire's tax of 2% on net wealth above €5 million, and 3% on wealth above €10 million
Vlaams Belang
Vlaams Belang MEP Tom Vandendriessche. Credit: Belga / Hatim Kaghat
Lead candidate: Tom Vandendriessche
Parliamentary Group: I&D
Number of MEPs (2019-2024): 3
Vandendriessche was a business owner before becoming the press representative for the 'Europe of Nations and Freedom Group' in the European Parliament at the end of 2016, before it was replaced by the Identity and Democracy group in 2019.
He has been an activist of Vlaams Belang since 1993, and joined the party board in 2020, where he is in charge of strategic coordination. He is known as the right-hand of party leader Tom Van Grieken. Vandendriessche is currently under investigation from the EU Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) but denies knowledge of any infractions.
Key quote: "The European Union is completely going off the rails. What once started as an economic cooperation to achieve peace and prosperity is developing into a political superstate that wants more and more power and thus leads us from one conflict to another. It is high time we listened and returned to the original foundations and values of the European Union: voluntary economic cooperation between free and democratic nation states."
Vlaams Belang's main EU priorities:
- Sovereignty of states and peoples, relying on cooperation among nations
- Preserving the identity of the peoples and nations of Europe in accordance with the specific characteristics of each nation, implying the right to control and regulate immigration
- Recognising the rights of each person to defend their specific and unique economic, social, cultural and territorial models in Europe
- Defending individual freedoms and emphasising the particular importance of protecting freedom of expression (including digital freedom)
Volt Europe
Volt lead European candidate Sophie in 't Veld in the European Parliament in Brussels. Credit: Philippe Buissin / EP Photo
Lead candidate: Sophie In 't Veld
Parliamentary Group: Renew Europe / Greens/EFA
Number of MEPs (2019-2024): n/a
Sophie in 't Veld is an experienced MEP from the Netherlands, but has chosen to stand as a candidate for the pan-European party Volt Belgium during the elections this weekend. She is the list leader.
The struggle for democracy, fundamental rights and the rule of law guides her political work. In the European Parliament, In ‘t Veld is a member of the parliamentary committees LIBE (Civil Liberties, Justice, Home Affairs), AFCO (Constitutional Affairs) and CONT (Budgetary Control), as well as several groups for human, reproductive and privacy rights.
Key quote: "Volt is completely new and still very small in Belgium, but there is clearly a place for a party like Volt here. Volt has no money, but a lot of enthusiasm, young people and ideals."
Volt's main EU priorities:
- Expanding Europe's high-speed network and international sleeper trains
- Achieving the Paris Agreement targets by significantly reducing CO2 emissions in all sectors, including transport, residential heating, industry and agriculture, as well as a better-integrated energy network for Belgium within the EU
- An inclusive society as an essential foundation for a healthy democracy, including widely accessible public services for all
- Strategic expansion of EU competences, the abolition of the right of veto in the European Council and building a strong common European defence force
Vooruit
Vooruit's leading candidate Bruno Tobback in 2019. Credit: Belga/James Arthur Gekiere
Lead candidate: Bruno Tobback
Parliamentary Group: Socialists & Democrats (S&D)
Number of MEPs (2019-2024): 1
A lawyer by education, Tobback was leader of the Flemish socialists (then still called sp.a) from 2011 to 2015. Before that (2004 to 2007), he was minister of Environment and Pensions in the Belgian Federal Government. Throughout his career, he has been working on climate, environmental and energy challenges and fighting for a fair climate policy, for and with everyone.
Quote: "The crises of recent years have shown how important a strong and social Europe is. European solidarity and cooperation are essential to tackle the major challenges for our planet, but also for the security, prosperity and purchasing power of our people. The keys to a climate policy that is at once ambitious and socially just lie at the European level."
Vooruit's main EU priorities:
- An EU with more power through internal reforms
- A Social Europe that protects its citizens through strong social protection
- A more decisive policy on climate change, there is no room for a pause button
- Trade policy should always be linked to compliance with human rights, social conventions and environmental treaties
- Europe must regain control over migration
The full list of the Dutch-speaking electoral college.
