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Belgium: Far-Right held in elections

01 May 1995

The melt-down in support for the established parties that had been predicted in Belgian national and regional elections failed to materialise, with the votes for the parties of the existing coalition holding up well enough to allow the existing government to continue in office. Commentators who predicted a breakthrough for the far-right parties turned out to be unduly pessimistic. However, the vote for both the Vlaams Blok and the Front National did hold up well, suggesting that whilst not yet able to make any serious bid for power the far-right have managed to consolidate the gains that were made last year in local and European elections. The Vlaams Blok got 7.8 percent of the national vote (up from 6.6 percent in 1991) winning 11 seats in the new chamber of representatives. In Flanders they polled 12.2 percent of the vote, 1.3 percent up on the vote that they achieved last time round. Their result was only marginally less than they scored in the elections held for the European Parliament. They also consolidated their position in Antwerp where they remain the largest single party with 27 percent. The Front National also polled well in Wallonia, getting 5 percent of the vote and winning 2 seats in the chamber of representatives to actually increase their number in the national parliament (the Belgian parliament has been reduced in size as part of the shift towards a federal constitution). The FN also picked up 5 seats in the regional elections in Wallonia and 6 seats in the Brussels regional parliament. Solidaire 24.5.95; Socialist Campaign Group News, June 1995.