Flemish parties in government
Open VLD
Leader: Tom Ongena
Key figures: Alexander De Croo, Vincent Van Quickenborne, Sven Gatz, Guy Verhofstadt
Political spectrum: Centre-right, liberal
Slogan: “Making tomorrow work”
Sister party in French-speaking Belgium: MR
European Parliament group: Renew Europe
Seats won in previous federal elections: 12 (2019), 14 (2014)
History: Created in 1992, Open VLD stems from the former bilingual Party for Freedom and Progress (PVV) that split into a Flemish and a Francophone faction. The party led three governments under Guy Verhofstadt from 1999 until 2008. It has stayed in the federal government ever since.
Main campaign pledges:
- Encouraging entrepreneurship
- Incentivising job creation by widening the gap between workers and the unemployed
- Individual freedoms, from abortion to euthanasia
Christian Democratic and Flemish (CD&V)
Leader: Sammy Mahdi
Key figures: Annelies Verlinden, Nicole de Moor, Jo Brouns, Hilde Crevits
Political spectrum: Centre-right
Slogan: “Respect for what really matters”
Sister party in French-speaking Belgium: Les Engagés
European Parliament group: European People’s Party (EPP)
Seats won in previous federal elections: 12 (2019), 18 (2014)
History: Founded in 1968 as the Christian People's Party (Christelijke Volkspartij, CVP), the party changed its name to Christian Democratic and Flemish (CD&V) in 2001. It has almost continuously been in power and was traditionally been the largest political party in Flanders, until it was overtaken by N-VA in the 2010s.
Main campaign pledges:
- Address cost of living issues
- Support social welfare
- Security
Vooruit
Leader: Melissa Depraetere (ad interim, after Conner Rousseau stepped down)
Key figures: Frank Vandenbroucke, Conner Rousseau, Caroline Gennez, Pascal Smet
Political spectrum: Centre-left
Slogan: “It's forward or it's backward. You choose.”
Sister party in French-speaking Belgium: PS
European Parliament group: Socialists and Democrats (S&D)
Seats won in previous federal elections: 9 (2019), 13 (2014)
History: After the Belgian Socialist Party split, the Flemish faction continued as the Socialist Party (SP) from 1980. In 2001, the party changed its name to sp.a, which turned into Vooruit ("Forwards") in 2021. The party has been part of many federal governments since 1911 and has continuously governed at the Flemish level between 1988 and 2014.
Main campaign pledges:
- Protecting people's purchasing power
- Affordable and quality healthcare for all – and fair pay for healthcare workers
- Investing in education, childcare and youth support
Groen
Leaders: Nadia Naji and Jeremie Vaneeckhout
Key figures: Petra De Sutter, Tinne Van der Straeten, Elke Van den Brandt, Alain Maron
Political spectrum: Centre-left/left
Slogan: “Only with Groen”
Sister party in French-speaking Belgium: Ecolo
European Parliament group: Greens/EFA
Seats won in previous federal elections: 8 (2019), 6 (2014)
History: Founded in 1982 as Agalev, the party changed its name to Groen! in 2003 before dropping the exclamation mark in early 2012. Two years ago, a logo and slogan rebrand aimed to emphasise that the party also focused on themes such as health, well-being and the fight against inequality.
Main campaign pledges:
- Fair climate policy that includes everyone
- Good, affordable care for everyone
- Fair opportunities for everyone
French-speaking parties in government
Socialist Party (PS)
Leader: Paul Magnette
Key figures: Philippe Close, Elio di Rupo, Rudi Vervoort, Marie Arena
Political spectrum: Centre-left/left
Slogan: “Solid and united”
Sister party in Flanders: Vooruit
European Parliament group: Socialists and Democrats (S&D)
Seats won in previous federal elections: 20 (2019), 12 (2014)
History: Founded in 1885, the PS claims it is at the origin of all the social progress that has made Belgium a country “where everyone is protected against the blows of fate”.
Main campaign pledges:
- Free public transport
- Tax the ultra-rich and multinationals
- Decriminalise cannabis
- Free public schools
Mouvement Réformateur (MR)
Leader: George Louis Bouchez
Key figures: Hadja Lahbib, Sophie Wilmès, Charles Michel
Political spectrum: Centre-right
Slogan: “A brighter future”
Language group: Francophone
Sister party in French-speaking Belgium: Open VLD
European Parliament group: Renew Europe
Seats won in recent elections: 14 (2019), 20 (2014)
History: Formed in 2002 as a merger between three different liberal parties. Has been in every Federal Government coalition since 1995. Charles Michel was Prime Minister of Belgium from 2014 to 2019 until he was succeeded by his colleague Sophie Wilmès.
Main campaign pledges:
- Boost purchasing power through financial and social instruments
- Invest in clean energy but prioritise nuclear
- Ban on religious symbols in the civil service
- Focus on work to lift people out of poverty
Ecolo
Leaders: Rajae Maouane, Jean-Marc Nollet,
Key figures: Zakia Khattabi, Georges Gilkinet, Marie-Colline Leroy. Saskia Bricmont
Political spectrum: Centre-left/left-wing
Slogan: “More open, more democratic, more sustainable”
Sister party in Flanders: Groen
European Parliament group: Greens/EFA
Seats won in previous federal elections: 13 (2019), 6 (2014)
History: Founded in 1980 in Namur as Ecolo – officially short for Confederated Ecologists for the Organisation of Original Struggle. They won the biggest share of the vote in Brussels in 2019.
Main campaign pledges:
- Greener planet, fit for present and future generations
- Just transition: social justice at the heart of environmental challenges
- Quality education, more open and inclusive schools, and supporting teaching staff
- Revitalising democracy
Belgium’s election: the basic stats
Federal Parliament:
The Vivaldi coalition government, in October 2020, after it was sworn in
· 150 seats in the Chamber of Representatives
· 76 needed for an absolute majority
· 60 seats in the Senate – although not directly elected (co-opted members of Community and regional parliaments)
Federal government: (nicknamed Vivaldi): PS, MR and Ecolo (French-speaking), CD&V, Groen, Open VLD, Vooruit (Flemish)
Opposition in parliament: N-VA, Vlaams Belang, Les Engagés, DéFI, PTB/PVDA
Brussels-Capital Region:
The 89 members, divided into two language groups: 72 belong to the French-speakers group and 17 to the Flemish
Brussels government: PS (16), Ecolo (15), DéFI (10), Groen (3), Vooruit (3), Open VLD (3)
Opposition: MR, PTB-PVDA, Les Engagés, Vlaams Belang, CD&V, Agora
European Parliament:
· This year, voters in Belgium will elect 22 MEPs (up from 21 in 2019) to the 720-seat European Parliament (down from 751 in 2019, but up from 705 after Brexit)
· 13 MEPs are from Dutch-speaking areas, eight from the French and one from the German
Flemish parties in opposition
New Flemish Alliance (N-VA)
Leader: Bart De Wever
Key figures: Zuhal Demir, Theo Francken, Jan Jambon, Liesbeth Homans
Political spectrum: Right-wing, Flemish nationalist
Slogan: “For Flemish prosperity”
Sister party in French-speaking Belgium: n/a
European Parliament group: European Conservatives and Reformists Group (ECR)
Seats won in previous federal elections: 25 (2019), 33 (2014)
History: Founded in 2001 from the more conservative remnants of the separatist Volksunie (People's Union), it calls for a peaceful and gradual secession of Flanders from Belgium. Was the largest party in parliament in 2010, 2014 and 2019.
Main campaign pledges:
- Safeguarding Flemish prosperity
- Turning Belgium into a confederal state
- Investing in defence
Vlaams Belang
Leader: Tom Van Grieken
Key figures: Filip Dewinter, Gerolf Annemans, Chris Janssens
Political spectrum: Far-right, separatist
Slogan: “Flanders ours again”
Sister party in French-speaking Belgium: n/a
European Parliament group: Identity and Democracy (ID)
Seats won in previous federal elections: 18 (2019), 3 (2014)
History: Founded in 1979 as Vlaams Blok, it demanded a "free and independent Flanders" and took a fervent anti-immigrant stance. After its breakthrough in the 1991 federal elections, the other parties agreed to exclude them from any government in a ‘cordon sanitaire’. Convicted of breaching the anti-racism law 2004, it promptly rebranded as Vlaams Belang.
Main campaign pledges:
- More Flanders
- More purchasing power
- Less immigration
French-speaking parties in opposition
DéFI
Leader: François De Smet
Key figures: Sophie Rohonyi, Bernard Clerfayt
Political spectrum: Centre
Slogan: “Always fairer”
Sister party in Flanders: n/a
European Parliament group: No MEPs
Seats won in previous elections: 5 (2019), 2 (2014)
History: Created in 1964 to defend the rights of French-speaking people in the Brussels-Capital Region and Wallonia. Previously known as the Democratic Front of Francophones (FDF) until 2015.
Main campaign pledges:
- Boosting Belgian federalism
- Investing in public services
- Balancing sustainable development, the economy and freedom
Les Engagés
Leader: Maxime Prévot
Political spectrum: Centre
Language group: Francophone
European Parliament group: European People’s Party (EPP)
Slogan: “The Courage to Change”
Sister party in Flanders: Christian Democratic and Flemish (CD&V)
Seats won in previous elections (as Humanist Democratic Centre): 5 (2019), 9 (2014)
History: Previously known as the Christian Social Party (CSP) until 2002, then the Humanist Democratic Centre (cdH) until 2022.
Main campaign pledges:
- Strategic autonomy and a federal Europe
- Combating overconsumption and making long-lasting goods
- A renewable/nuclear energy mix
Mixed party in opposition
Belgian Workers Party (PTB/PVDA)
Leader: Raoul Hebdebow
Key figures: Francoise Smedt, Peter Martens, Marc Botenga
Political spectrum: Left/radical left
Election slogan: “The choice for change”
Sister parties: A unified party (PVDA in Dutch and PTB in French)
European Parliament group: The Left - GUE/NGL
Seats won in recent elections: 12 (2019), 4 (2014)
History: Created in 1979, this has long been a small party but has grown in popularity since the financial crisis of 2008. It defines itself as Marxist and socialist. It is the only unified party in Belgium today which represents both Wallonia/Brussels (PTB) and Flanders (PVDA) under one leadership.
Main campaign pledges:
- Tax justice by ensuring the rich pay more
- Tackling the cost-of-living crisis
- Big polluters to pay for climate change adaptation and mitigation
