A session of the Flemish Parliament had to be adjourned for 15 minutes on Wednesday afternoon after Filip Dewinter of the far-right Vlaams Belang party prominently placed a Flemish flag next to the chairman's chair, causing consternation among the opposition.
Liesbeth Homans of the Flemish rightwing N-VA normally chairs the Flemish Parliament but is currently ill, meaning vice-chair Dewinter – whose party strives for Flemish independence – was allowed chair the session on Wednesday. For the occasion, he had a Flemish flag placed next to the chairman's chair.
The flag caused some chaos in the Parliament, as the opposition questioned Dewinter on why he thought it was necessary.
When the social democratic Vooruit party asked for an explanation, Dewinter replied that he thought it was "normal" for a Flemish flag to be displayed in the Flemish Parliament.
Then, Jos Dhaese, group leader of the radical left PVDA party accused Dewinter of wanting to profile himself politically. “Can every new chairman just bring their own flag or banner? I do not like all this flag waving."
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What followed was a sharp discussion after the Flemish Green Party also accused Dewinter of political profiling. The debate got so out of hand – with the majority and the opposition shouting at each other – that Dewinter suspended the session for 15 minutes.
After the short pause, however, the flag remained in place. "It will be discussed further during a meeting of the Extended Bureau on Monday," said Dewinter.
