Belgian Politics & Elections: Federal, regional & EP elections on June 9, 2024

[Zinneke]

Tom Ongena becomes new interim-chairman of Open VLD. There's lots of criticism because the chairman wasn't elected, but appointed.

https://www.demorgen.be/meningen/open-vld-lijkt-niet-enkel-bang-te-zijn-voor-de-kiezer-maar-ook-voor-de-eigen-leden~b6330005/

This is an opinion of someone who says that Open VLD isn't just scared of elections but even for internal elections and that an old generation that is active in politics for decades needs to be replaced by newer faces.

A petition has been started by some members of VLD, including young VLD to allow elections to take place for chair.

People have stated that at this rate the party might even lose members and support within their own ranks, heading to a historic and embarrassing loss for the liberals.

There are grassroots members like Else Ampe who are outright calling out the culture of nepotism and "dinosaurs/barons" in the Flemish liberal pillar, which in the context of Belgian politics is quite a Rubicon to cross (MR for example also operates like a family business where well to do families run the show in the background).

[LAKISYLVANIA]

Tom Ongena becomes new interim-chairman of Open VLD. There's lots of criticism because the chairman wasn't elected, but appointed.

https://www.demorgen.be/meningen/open-vld-lijkt-niet-enkel-bang-te-zijn-voor-de-kiezer-maar-ook-voor-de-eigen-leden~b6330005/

This is an opinion of someone who says that Open VLD isn't just scared of elections but even for internal elections and that an old generation that is active in politics for decades needs to be replaced by newer faces.

A petition has been started by some members of VLD, including young VLD to allow elections to take place for chair.

People have stated that at this rate the party might even lose members and support within their own ranks, heading to a historic and embarrassing loss for the liberals.

There are grassroots members like Else Ampe who are outright calling out the culture of nepotism and "dinosaurs/barons" in the Flemish liberal pillar, which in the context of Belgian politics is quite a Rubicon to cross (MR for example also operates like a family business where well to do families run the show in the background).

One wonders why they get 20% of the vote in french speaking Belgium if it's a party of the very few.

[Zinneke]

Tom Ongena becomes new interim-chairman of Open VLD. There's lots of criticism because the chairman wasn't elected, but appointed.

https://www.demorgen.be/meningen/open-vld-lijkt-niet-enkel-bang-te-zijn-voor-de-kiezer-maar-ook-voor-de-eigen-leden~b6330005/

This is an opinion of someone who says that Open VLD isn't just scared of elections but even for internal elections and that an old generation that is active in politics for decades needs to be replaced by newer faces.

A petition has been started by some members of VLD, including young VLD to allow elections to take place for chair.

People have stated that at this rate the party might even lose members and support within their own ranks, heading to a historic and embarrassing loss for the liberals.

There are grassroots members like Else Ampe who are outright calling out the culture of nepotism and "dinosaurs/barons" in the Flemish liberal pillar, which in the context of Belgian politics is quite a Rubicon to cross (MR for example also operates like a family business where well to do families run the show in the background).

One wonders why they get 20% of the vote in french speaking Belgium if it's a party of the very few.

Well 20% isn't exactly great considering the Left is perceived as hegemonic in Wallonia. They definitely could have a better score if they weren't governed by the Michel clan who believe their own hype. Reynders has his flaws but he did actually beat PS to the top spot for one, whereas the Michel clan are provincial puppets, classic Brabant Wallon arrogance coarsing through their veins without realising how narrow-minded they are. But hey they managed to take Macron out for fries and flatter him in exchange for a jet setting, highly paid EU position.

But it also has to do with pillarisation being more resilient in Wallonia that in Flanders. Median Flemish worker is white collar, not necesarily tied to a union and if they are its for purely practical reasons. Walloons still hang on tight to their trade federations who in turn mobilise them to vote for one way or another. Independents for example are clearly targeted by MR via their lobby group, but some other sectors are also just default MR-voting and really don't care about GLB embarassing himself on Flemish TV getting his nutsack crushed, or the Michel-Reynders tug of war, they literally only care about their tax exemptions at the margin here or there and see voting as a way to protect their sector, and have no issues with for example an MR-PS coalition if it just neutralises any attempt at reform.

In contrast Open VLD are actually quite ideological, especially the youth. They lost their core sectoral interests in the real economy when first CD+V then N-VA usurped them and satisfy themselves by protecting the tax loopholes the elites (and I mean genuine 1%, Belgian landed aristocracy elites, that are not part of the real economy) want from them in exchange for their vote and influence + they toss some policy bones to the spotty libertarian business school types in the big Flemish settlements and suburbs.

[LAKISYLVANIA]

Yeah i don't disagree with you there. I'm not exactly a liberal (esp. from our national point of view). I strongly detest them and if the proposal of anti-voting goes through, i would give it to VLD (VB and N-VA are going to get many anyways from other people).

[LAKISYLVANIA]

https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2023/07/07/jean-marie-dedecker-overweegt-om-de-ldd-nieuw-leven-in-te-blazen/

List Dedecker (a libertarian party) might choose to to be on the lists next election again. It's something that is into consideration and would be a threat to both the flemish liberals and flemish national conservatives (VLD and N-VA) if they decide to do so as they're quite popular, esp. in West Flanders.

[Zinneke]

https://twitter.com/SanderClaess/status/1680617386729168896

You in Cuba Laki?

[LAKISYLVANIA]

https://twitter.com/SanderClaess/status/1680617386729168896

You in Cuba Laki?

I've been part of this student group, but not anymore so i'm not in Cuba, though if given the chance i probably would accept or take the opportunity.

[DavidB.]

https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2023/07/07/jean-marie-dedecker-overweegt-om-de-ldd-nieuw-leven-in-te-blazen/

List Dedecker (a libertarian party) might choose to to be on the lists next election again. It's something that is into consideration and would be a threat to both the flemish liberals and flemish national conservatives (VLD and N-VA) if they decide to do so as they're quite popular, esp. in West Flanders.

What is his unique selling point? Will LDD also take VB voters?

[Zinneke]

https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2023/07/07/jean-marie-dedecker-overweegt-om-de-ldd-nieuw-leven-in-te-blazen/

List Dedecker (a libertarian party) might choose to to be on the lists next election again. It's something that is into consideration and would be a threat to both the flemish liberals and flemish national conservatives (VLD and N-VA) if they decide to do so as they're quite popular, esp. in West Flanders.

What is his unique selling point?

West Flanders personalist vote and being more "authentic straight talker "type. Also helps that N-VA have been in the Flemish gov for a good part of a decade and a half now...N-VA are not seen as opposition. But the Vivaldi at the federal level is seen as a bigger clown car than the Flemish gov, which is saying something.

Will LDD also take VB voters?

If he takes off like he did before, easily. But I doubt he'll have the same media traction he did before. He's probably unironically thinking he can pull an Omzigt but he'll be outflanked by the 2 other competitive parties. He might take in some VLD libertarian types in West Flanders too, who vote Van Quickenborne

[Zinneke]

Theo Francken : ECOLO and the Socialists are making Brussels dirty

Also Theo Francken :

https://twitter.com/BelgianGreenCub/status/1695117869309182292

[Zinneke]

One person who I bet is happy a potential government-ending scandal is unfolding, and thus taking the limelight away from her, is Marie Arena.

Remember the Qatarigate scandal?

Well it turns out the prosecuting judge, Michel Claise, failed to disclose that his son and Marie Arena's son were in a marijuana CBD extract business together.

As a result, Marc Tarabella, the other Socialist MEP who unlike Arena was actually arrested has had his lawyer "uncover the dirt". And it's slowly emerging that Elio Di Rupo, who considers Arena almost like a sister, was dictating the tempo of the investigation from afar and ensuring "the halfwit from Liège" Tarabella was the one to take the full mediatic spotlight in Belgium. Marc Uyttendaele, a lawyer with strong links to the PS via being the spouse of Laurette Onkelinx, was assigned to Italian former MEP and ringmaster Panzeri (also Arena's lover), who then conveniently struck a plea bargain of sorts that "spilled the beans". Kaili was the most high profile target, Tarabella was also mentioned, but no mention of the person that Kaili instantly called when her Brussels flat was being raided in front of her eyes, the person that had all the institutional power to be able to host pro-Qatar events or allowed Panzeris fake NGO to enter the European Parliament without accreditation : Marie Arena.

Claise has been removed as a judge and the case is slowly turning into a get out of jail free card for many of the perps, some of whom were literally caught with suitcases of cash.

Update : Marie Arena's son's apartment (adjacent to hers) has been raided and €200.000 in cash was found stuff down the sofa.

[Zinneke]

Didier Reynders, EU Justice Commissioner, is considering a shock return to Belgian front line politics challenging Bouchez for the MR presidency. Bouchez started out in Reynders's faction and as one of his cabinet members and was seen as a unity candidate of the Reynders-Michel clan wars but has slowly trended towards the Michel faction, nominating the hapless brother of the family for a federal portfolio in the process. Now Bouchez is facing a lot of internal strife because of his style as much as his ideas.

Meanwhile Les Engagés are looking for a front line politics candidate in Brussels and have asked the usual "token" public faces, but continually are rejected. Their polling in Brussels is not looking good.

[Umengus]

Didier Reynders, EU Justice Commissioner, is considering a shock return to Belgian front line politics challenging Bouchez for the MR presidency. Bouchez started out in Reynders's faction and as one of his cabinet members and was seen as a unity candidate of the Reynders-Michel clan wars but has slowly trended towards the Michel faction, nominating the hapless brother of the family for a federal portfolio in the process. Now Bouchez is facing a lot of internal strife because of his style as much as his

Meanwhile Les Engagés are looking for a front line politics candidate in Brussels and have asked the usual "token" public faces, but continually are rejected. Their polling in Brussels is not looking good.

source about the reynders come back ? (EDIT: sudpress.  Wait and see.)

the irony is that reynders is (was ?) more conservative than the michel faction. It will not be  easy for reynders because bouchez is very popular amongst MR members. And curious to see the Denis Ducarme opinion about it: He did peace with bouchez and will be the candidate in charleroi.

[Zinneke]

Didier Reynders, EU Justice Commissioner, is considering a shock return to Belgian front line politics challenging Bouchez for the MR presidency. Bouchez started out in Reynders's faction and as one of his cabinet members and was seen as a unity candidate of the Reynders-Michel clan wars but has slowly trended towards the Michel faction, nominating the hapless brother of the family for a federal portfolio in the process. Now Bouchez is facing a lot of internal strife because of his style as much as his

Meanwhile Les Engagés are looking for a front line politics candidate in Brussels and have asked the usual "token" public faces, but continually are rejected. Their polling in Brussels is not looking good.

source about the reynders come back ? (EDIT: sudpress.  Wait and see.)

the irony is that reynders is (was ?) more conservative than the michel faction. It will not be  easy for reynders because bouchez is very popular amongst MR members. And curious to see the Denis Ducarme opinion about it: He did peace with bouchez and will be the candidate in charleroi.

I think the past tense re: Reynders being more conservative than Michel clan. I think now the lines are very blurred and the ideologies complicated. Bouchez (and Jeunes MR) used to be way more social liberal on things like drug policy, now he's going more towards the De WEver line of wanting to imprison drug consumers. Reynders on the other hand was definitely more concerned about immigration in the noughties than Louis Michel but now Bouchez is more and more taking a leaf out of Sarkozyste (a guy he openly said he admires even after being found to be a criminal) playbooks. Ultimately it's about personalities again rather than any kind of coherent ideological struggle.

Also, I don't really know the lay of the land of the membership of MR, but a lot of the more senior activists and clans - the types who work in the partiocracy and expect MR to be in government as much as possible - well they are pissed off at Bouchez after he clashed with De Croo, went on the reality TV show and also his episode in Knokke. He was outright ganged up upon in a meeting in Villers-la-Ville and called out He is on the other hand popular with younger more libertarian right types and older boomer types in rural areas. There are evident geographical divides too, even within the provinces. Bouchez is unpopular in Tournai because of what he did to Crucke, but reasonably popular in the Pays de Charleroi area. Liège MR also don't really like him with Defraigne and Goffin finding him too polemic.


I think Ducarme will back Bouchez but quietly because he won't want to create tensions in his campaign for Charleroi.

[Zinneke]

https://twitter.com/Belga_English/status/1697992194840231996

[Zinneke]

The VLD Justice Minister Vincent Van Quickenborne is under pressure to resign after it emerged he was potentially aware that three guests at one of his, ahem, notorious house parties urinated on a police van.

It would be one of the most Belgian scandals if somehow public money was wasted...

[Umengus]

I think Ducarme will back Bouchez but quietly because he won't want to create tensions in his campaign for Charleroi.

He did. No suprise but good for Bouchez.

[Umengus]

Sammy Mahdi (the flemish christian (?) democrat party leader) in drag queen.

I was not ready for it.

I presume that the CDV strategy to win next election will not based on the muslim vote.

[Zinneke]

Sammy Mahdi (the flemish christian (?) democrat party leader) in drag queen.

I was not ready for it.

I presume that the CDV strategy to win next election will not based on the muslim vote.

I saw an RTBF article that said it's more of an indication that the Vivaldi parties that are clearly set to lose next election are trying any desperate attempt for relevancy by trying to "people-ise" their party presidents. Of course De Wever was the first to really popularise this, he made his name through a game show, but now you see Rousseau, GLB, Mahdi all turn up on random game shows/reality tv and it's a sign of the utter desperation for any publicity as the Vivaldi PR machines scramble to find some sort of unique identity from the partiocracy blob.

Re: overall attitudes to LGBT, You see with the schools being tagged and burned down because of the EVRAS law though that cultural reactionary attitudes towards LGBT people are still somewhat present and if anything making a return (a strange alliance of far right conspiracy  theorists and Islamist alter-globalists), with conspiracies spilling in from France about "LGBT ideology" and "sex education classes teaching our kids about masturbation at 8 years old". So even if Mahdi is commendable for his attitude towards trans people, he may be actually shooting himself in the foot. We have a trans minister who when named nobody blinked an eye and we had Theo Francken be called out by his own twitter fans for making a big deal about women's underwear for men, but looks like we are going to inherit the worst aspects of the UK/France twittosphere and their braindead ideas thanks to the cancer that is social media and astroturfing.

[Umengus]

On the French-speaking side, there is a big controversy concerning the "Evras guide", a guide on which is based the "training" of 2 hours per year mandatory for students aged 10-11 and 14-15.

The political class voted unanimously in favour, minus the 3 abstentions of the "engagés" (ex-CDH, ex PSC). But on the day of the vote, a demonstration of several hundred people (mostly veiled Muslim women) was held and the media hype began. The Minister of Education (PS) tried to reassure by specifying that this training was not intended to encourage children to change their gender, even if it is specified that the goal is to "become aware that gender identity can be identical or different, get closer, move away, correspond, not match, differ, oscillate, ... of the one assigned at birth."

The day of the vote, Bouchez confirmed the approval of the guide by his party but said that he would be attentive to what would be learned during this training.

Since then, the debate has been heated. And, what is tragic, at some schools. Indeed, individuals set fire to 6 schools in Wallonia (!).

The debate will go on because the subject is important. From a political point of view, it will be interesting to see if this does not impact the result of the Socialist Party in Brussels, already weakened by the exculsion of Kir and the predominance of Moroccans over Turks and the strong competition of the ecologists (and the PTB). Even MR.

[Umengus]

Sammy Mahdi (the flemish christian (?) democrat party leader) in drag queen.

I was not ready for it.

I presume that the CDV strategy to win next election will not based on the muslim vote.

I saw an RTBF article that said it's more of an indication that the Vivaldi parties that are clearly set to lose next election are trying any desperate attempt for relevancy by trying to "people-ise" their party presidents. Of course De Wever was the first to really popularise this, he made his name through a game show, but now you see Rousseau, GLB, Mahdi all turn up on random game shows/reality tv and it's a sign of the utter desperation for any publicity as the Vivaldi PR machines scramble to find some sort of unique identity from the partiocracy blob.

Re: overall attitudes to LGBT, You see with the schools being tagged and burned down because of the EVRAS law though that cultural reactionary attitudes towards LGBT people are still somewhat present and if anything making a return (a strange alliance of far right conspiracy  theorists and Islamist alter-globalists), with conspiracies spilling in from France about "LGBT ideology" and "sex education classes teaching our kids about masturbation at 8 years old". So even if Mahdi is commendable for his attitude towards trans people, he may be actually shooting himself in the foot. We have a trans minister who when named nobody blinked an eye and we had Theo Francken be called out by his own twitter fans for making a big deal about women's underwear for men, but looks like we are going to inherit the worst aspects of the UK/France twittosphere and their braindead ideas thanks to the cancer that is social media and astroturfing.

there are good reasons to oppose Evra but none to burn schools.

[Zinneke]

Sammy Mahdi (the flemish christian (?) democrat party leader) in drag queen.

I was not ready for it.

I presume that the CDV strategy to win next election will not based on the muslim vote.

I saw an RTBF article that said it's more of an indication that the Vivaldi parties that are clearly set to lose next election are trying any desperate attempt for relevancy by trying to "people-ise" their party presidents. Of course De Wever was the first to really popularise this, he made his name through a game show, but now you see Rousseau, GLB, Mahdi all turn up on random game shows/reality tv and it's a sign of the utter desperation for any publicity as the Vivaldi PR machines scramble to find some sort of unique identity from the partiocracy blob.

Re: overall attitudes to LGBT, You see with the schools being tagged and burned down because of the EVRAS law though that cultural reactionary attitudes towards LGBT people are still somewhat present and if anything making a return (a strange alliance of far right conspiracy  theorists and Islamist alter-globalists), with conspiracies spilling in from France about "LGBT ideology" and "sex education classes teaching our kids about masturbation at 8 years old". So even if Mahdi is commendable for his attitude towards trans people, he may be actually shooting himself in the foot. We have a trans minister who when named nobody blinked an eye and we had Theo Francken be called out by his own twitter fans for making a big deal about women's underwear for men, but looks like we are going to inherit the worst aspects of the UK/France twittosphere and their braindead ideas thanks to the cancer that is social media and astroturfing.

there are good reasons to oppose Evra but none to burn schools.

It depends if one is criticising the actual proposition or if one has just read what the online conspiracy theorists have said about it. There is absolute chasm between the disinfo online and the actual proposition. There is no talk whatsoever of teaching 8 year olds about masturbation or even gender identity. There is talk of teaching 11 year olds about physical contact on things like legs and arms, and also how to tackle potentially awkward questions given many at that age have maybe already been sadly exposed to pornography.

https://www.rtbf.be/article/complotistes-extreme-droite-et-adeptes-de-theories-pedocriminelles-voici-le-reseau-des-desinformateurs-sur-levras-en-belgique-11256548

[Zinneke]

Bouchez, who has been quiet up until now on the EVRAS school burning, has finally delivered his verdict.

https://twitter.com/GLBouchez/status/1703340145653510368

... basically saying it's because socialist cities have high crime rates. And also forgetting MR is in the Liège government in the process. Even right wing bloggers like Marcel Sel are taking him to task over it. Another 4D chess move.

[MaxQue]

I always thought that Bouchez was a great name, it seems very fitting for him.

[Umengus]

Sammy Mahdi (the flemish christian (?) democrat party leader) in drag queen.

I was not ready for it.

I presume that the CDV strategy to win next election will not based on the muslim vote.

I saw an RTBF article that said it's more of an indication that the Vivaldi parties that are clearly set to lose next election are trying any desperate attempt for relevancy by trying to "people-ise" their party presidents. Of course De Wever was the first to really popularise this, he made his name through a game show, but now you see Rousseau, GLB, Mahdi all turn up on random game shows/reality tv and it's a sign of the utter desperation for any publicity as the Vivaldi PR machines scramble to find some sort of unique identity from the partiocracy blob.

Re: overall attitudes to LGBT, You see with the schools being tagged and burned down because of the EVRAS law though that cultural reactionary attitudes towards LGBT people are still somewhat present and if anything making a return (a strange alliance of far right conspiracy  theorists and Islamist alter-globalists), with conspiracies spilling in from France about "LGBT ideology" and "sex education classes teaching our kids about masturbation at 8 years old". So even if Mahdi is commendable for his attitude towards trans people, he may be actually shooting himself in the foot. We have a trans minister who when named nobody blinked an eye and we had Theo Francken be called out by his own twitter fans for making a big deal about women's underwear for men, but looks like we are going to inherit the worst aspects of the UK/France twittosphere and their braindead ideas thanks to the cancer that is social media and astroturfing.

there are good reasons to oppose Evra but none to burn schools.

It depends if one is criticising the actual proposition or if one has just read what the online conspiracy theorists have said about it. There is absolute chasm between the disinfo online and the actual proposition. There is no talk whatsoever of teaching 8 year olds about masturbation or even gender identity. There is talk of teaching 11 year olds about physical contact on things like legs and arms, and also how to tackle potentially awkward questions given many at that age have maybe already been sadly exposed to pornography.

https://www.rtbf.be/article/complotistes-extreme-droite-et-adeptes-de-theories-pedocriminelles-voici-le-reseau-des-desinformateurs-sur-levras-en-belgique-11256548

Sorry but it's full wokist:
"L’objectif est de "prendre conscience que l’identité de genre peut être identique ou différente, se rapprocher, s’éloigner, correspondre, ne pas correspondre, différer, osciller, … de celle assignée à la naissance."