english flemish block belgian far right political party anti immigration platform embraced flemish nationalism calling independence flanders creation notable militant right wing flemish movement track record flemish belgian parliament elections strong election campaigns consisted mainly immigration law order theme combined desire flemish autonomy significant flemish political parties reluctant enter following agreement known party effectively blocked entering level government april ruled party organizations breached anti racism law party sanctioned discrimination ruling definite november party shortly reorganised party arguably single popular flemish party belgium supported flemish electorate successful radical right wing populist parties europe history background flemish movement originated loose historically included array organisations seeking varying degrees promote flanders second half nineteenth century flemish nationalists operated established political parties close ties political left early organised political expression flemish nationalism triggered world war introduction universal suffrage proportional representation elections main party initially represented movement left wing nationalist party founded soldiers trench wars french speaking anti flemish officers unable communicate troops 1930s main party turned collaborate nazis world war promised increased flemish autonomy circumstances compromise emergence flemish nationalism war faction broader movement actually pursued agenda collaboration direct predecessor founded successor electoral alliance successfully run election earlier year party careful choose leaders nationalist circles collaborated nazis flemish suspicious outset clear 1970s party moved moderate left liberal course led radical members remaining nationalist finally rejected party participation new party government coalition particularly pact believing conceded government parties early years late rejection pact faction led establishment new short lived parties radical nationalist national liberal flemish respectively led parties contested general elections coalition called won vote seat taken finally merged form new party named nominated party leader life party initially recruited members flemish nationalist organisations local groups simply turned local branches inception party widely regarded conservative party extreme right wing party party electoral success stable seat general elections stood candidates communities active entirely city antwerp having founded mainly protest pact party revamped platform pact collapsed progress general elections started called operation allowing board change party leadership integrating leaders nationalist youth student organisations party council party youth organisation founded starting increasingly began focusing immigration inspired success european right wing populist parties international day racism held conference discuss problem year proposed bill offer cash incentive immigrants return native country april group right wing competitor anti tax switched party party campaigned general election slogan people inspired slogan french saw slight victory winning seat senate taken time seats party shift focusing immigration criticised members ultimately led party figures party clear choice immigration issue results elections rise party electoral success began younger generation party shifted party emphasis flemish nationalism immigration issue local election antwerp party started going vote city success drew publicity based antwerp success presidents major belgian parties including signed barrier parties agreed conclude political agreements immigration political issue largely rejected cooperation parties increasingly consider cooperation particularly elections find effectively blocked intended gaining political influence argued agreement reality gave room strong electoral surge party seen true opposition agreement renewed following years chairman insurance policy party basically happy existence bit everybody sense hunt drive people outlaw december major split occurred party group opposed operation tried squeeze faction party leadership led accused faction attempting flemish question favour immigration question sided group left party founded nationalist pressure group called party won seat brussels city council agreed form parliamentary group german republicans called european right group lacked ideological stemming support belgian state nationalism largely organised pragmatic grounds simply financial support general election time surpassed going seats chamber seats senate referred opponents black sunday following years party saw systematic upwards trend elections participated july motion accepted rejected right inhabitants flemish vote institutions late announced popular antwerp city councillor years went causing lose majority city council party chairman established party comprehensive immigration program titled point plan plan sought close borders non european immigrants gradually country implement people principle policy areas course 1990s party increasingly distanced plan alienated party gaining political influence finally officially discarded european election party doubled seats vote failed continue group nationalist parties having dropped parliament refusing join group established alliance called coordination european right party leader nominated hold position life stepped personally appointed successor choice seen compromise flemish nationalist wing wing avoiding potential internal struggle elections scheduled senate overtook position largest flemish party winning vote elections total seats continued particularly strong antwerp received vote local elections party forced alter political program according laws party financing compatible election party finally single largest party group parliament party invited government discussions find differences parties resulting traditional parties forming majority government retaining time party popular flemish party belgium supported flemish electorate ruling october opposition racism dutch speaking belgium registered complaint claimed non profit organisations connected education research office violated anti racism law publications referred included election agenda party platform challenged passages included party called separate education system foreign children special tax employers employing non european foreigners restriction unemployment benefits child non european foreigners june declared incompetent hear case related political misconduct february followed gave similar judgement original appealed case sent upheld complaint non profit organisations fined deemed organisation sanctioned discrimination lodged appeal rejected november ruling definite upheld ruling meant party lose access state funding access television effectively shutting party reactions trial seen political trial inspired belgian establishment federal parliament notably amended constitution order create legal possibilities condemn party pointed problem political nomination judges claimed lawsuit political process coordinated interior leadership seized occasion ban dissolve party start new days later november disbanded new party established proposed names included new party instituted number changes political program carefully extreme positions party leadership clear party fundamentally remain professor member advisor party legal team claimed party propaganda reasons purposely undertook weak defence order lose case party leaders losing interesting winning wasn option earlier stated party carried trial senator stated gone based procedural arguments case private claim verdict basis substantive arguments forth claim verdict court bundle cases lose case sure given final blow ideology main ideological political strategies started radical nationalist rejection compromise flemish autonomy issue later followed focus immigration security exploitation corruption scandals defense traditional values party foremost defense flemish interests voters mainly motivated anti immigration anti establishment protest flemish nationalism main issue party flemish nationalism issues added later way connected flemish nationalism promoted party according program based ethnic community naturally occurring entity cultural material ethical intellectual interests need preserved party primarily worked independent flemish state modeling split czechoslovakia long time promoted idea new state merge netherlands establish dutch speaking federation 1990s idea party netherlands turned social democratic state according scholar dutch political situation sharply overturned 2000s immigration minorities immigration important issue late 1980s flemish nationalism issue immigrants considered threat flemish ethnic community party established point plan included measures stop immigration return immigrants native countries force legally residing migrants respect markets labour housing education party opponents particularly saw immigration program source claims racism party latest years relevance point plan written positions immigration concerns crime security linked immigration party particularly blamed turks criminal activity sought zero tolerance approach law order party strongly anti islamic early program regarded islam doctrine holy war assassination forced conversions oppression women slavery automatically lead party anti muslim portrayed muslims fifth column cruel religion gulf war called government introduce measures belgium party according political scientist rarely accused anti strongly condemned party leadership cast doubt scale holocaust television interview instance party leadership immediately called emergency meeting distanced forced resign party took screening measures local candidates reveal possible connections wanted risk able fill lists filling particularly party wanted distance holocaust denial actively sought reach jewish voters antwerp anti establishment element ideology party populist fight political establishment manifested political scandals flourished 1990s belgium including corruption food scandals included scandal affair usual suspects politicians traditional party families especially parties economy party strong economic preferences generally supported mixed economy supported tax reductions small medium businesses supported defended welfare state especially allocated native flemish population foreign policy party major belgian party opposed belgium membership european_union idea federal europe defended con federal europe based sovereign culturally nation states european issue issue party promoted favoured abolition united_nations citing composition bureaucracy democratic deficit party faith world community international legal system questioning entire logic rejected view international consensus concepts democracy justice freedom human rights especially member countries non western international relations maintained good contacts nationalist parties europe countries traditionally closest contacts dutch south african far right groups including centre democrats south african party mid-1980s established close relations particularly republicans 1990s supported minor dutch block party modeled directly party active establishing contacts post communist parties eastern european countries including keeping official contacts addition supportive left wing nationalist parties parties established contacts recently italian period distrust maintained contacts election results note election results elections dutch speaking electoral college gives somewhat wrong image party support given party ran flanders half belgium senate results dutch speaking electoral college given
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