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Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats

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Template:Short description Template:Redirect Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox political party

The Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> (Template:Langx, {{#invoke:IPA|main}}, Open Vld) is a Flemish liberal<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Slomp2011">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="StarkeKaasch2013">Template:Cite book</ref> political party in Belgium. The party has been described as centre-right<ref name="Colomer2008">Template:Cite book</ref> and has smaller factions within the party that have conservative liberal<ref name="Slomp2011" /><ref name="StarkeKaasch2013" /><ref name="Spierings2019">Template:Cite book</ref> and social liberal views.Template:Cn The party is a member of the Liberal Group,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Renew Europe, and Liberal International.

The party was created in 1992 from the former bilingual Party for Freedom and Progress (PVV) and politicians from other parties after Belgium was reconstituted as a federal state based on language, with the French-speaking faction forming the Reformist Movement (MR) in Wallonia. The party led the government for three cabinets under Guy Verhofstadt from 1999 until March 2008. Open Vld then formed the Federal Government (the so-called "Swedish government") with N-VA, CD&V and Mouvement Réformateur.

In the Flemish Parliament, the VLD formed a coalition government with sp.a-Spirit and Christian Democratic and Flemish (CD&V) from after the 2004 regional election until the 2009 regional election. Open Vld has been a member of the Leterme I Government formed on 22 March 2008, the Van Rompuy I Government formed on 2 January 2009, the Leterme II Government formed on 24 November 2009 and the Di Rupo Government formed on 6 December 2011.

Ideologically, Open Vld started as an economically liberal<ref name="BanchoffSmith1999">Template:Cite book</ref> and somewhat libertarian Thatcherite party under its founder, Guy Verhofstadt, which mirrored some of the original ideology of the PVV. The VLD rapidly became more centrist and gave up much of its free market approach, partly under the influence of Verhofstadt's political scientist brother Dirk Verhofstadt. However, the VLD continued to contain conservative-libertarian and classical liberal wings with ties to think-tanks like Nova Civitas. Party chairman Bart Somers called in November 2006 for a "revolution" within the party, saying that "a liberal party", like the VLD, "can be only progressive and social".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

From 2000 to 2004, during the second period of its participation in the Belgian federal government and under Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt, the VLD allegedly lost most of its ideological appeal. Several of its thinkers such as (former member) Boudewijn Bouckaert, president of Nova Civitas, heavily criticized the party. Many others, particularly from the party's conservative and Flemish autonomist wing, resented the priority it placed on the 'Belgian compromise', which enabled the French Community's Socialist Party to gain a dominant position in the formulation of Belgian federal government policy.

In 2004, the VLD teamed up with the minority social-liberal party Vivant for both the Flemish and European elections. VLD-Vivant lost the elections to arch rivals CD&V and the Flemish Bloc. The VLD fell from second to third place among the Flemish political parties, slipping narrowly behind the sp.a-Spirit cartel. Internal feuds, the support for electoral rights for immigrants and an unsuccessful economic policy were seen as the main reasons for its election defeat. From 2007, the party kept having electoral difficulties, first due to competition from split-off List Dedecker and after 2010 from the liberal-conservative Flemish-nationalist party N-VA.

HistoryEdit

The VLD has its origins in the Party for Freedom and Progress (which in turn was a successor to the Liberal Party), a bilingual party which stood in both the Flemish and Walloon regions of Belgium. As such the liberal party is the oldest political party of Belgium. In 1846, Walthère Frère-Orban succeeded in creating a political program which could unite several liberal groups into one party. Before 1960, the Liberal Party of Belgium was barely organised. The school pact of 1958, as a result of which the most important argument for the traditional anti-clericalism was removed, gave the necessary impetus for a thorough renewal. During the liberal party congress of 1961, the Liberal Party was reformed into the bilingual Party for Freedom and Progress (PVV-PLP), and Omer Vanaudenhove became the chairman of the new party. The new liberal party, which struggled with an anti-clerical image, opened its doors for believers, but wasn't too concerned about the situation of workers and primarily defended the interests of employers. It is a central principle of Classical Liberalism that employers and employees do NOT have opposed long term interests.

In the late 1960s and the early 1970s, the tensions between the different communities in Belgium rose and there were disagreements within the liberal movement as well. In 1972, the unitary PVV-PLP was split into separate a Flemish and a Francophone parties. On Flemish side, under the guidance of Frans Grootjans, Herman Vanderpoorten and Willy De Clercq, the PVV was created, on Walloon side Milou Jeunehomme became the head of the PLP and Brussels got its own but totally disintegrated liberal party landscape. Willy De Clercq became the first chairman of the independent Party of Freedom and Progress (Template:Langx, PVV). De Clercq, together with Frans Grootjans and Herman Vanderpoorten, set out the lines for the new party. This reform was coupled an Ethical Congress, on which the PVV adopted very progressive and tolerant stances regarding abortion, euthanasia, adultery, homosexuality and gender equality.

In 1982, the 29-year-old reformer Guy Verhofstadt became the chairman of the party, and even was Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Budget from 1986 to 1988. Annemie Neyts succeeded him as chairman, becoming the first female party chairman. In 1989, Verhofstadt once more became the chairman of the PVV, after his party had been condemned to the opposition by the Christian People's Party (CVP) in 1987.

In 1992, the PVV was reformed into the Flemish Liberals and Democrats (Vlaamse Liberalen en Democraten, VLD) under the impulse of Verhofstadt. Although the VLD was the successor of the PVV, many politicians with democratic nationalist or socialist roots joined the new party. Notable examples are Jaak Gabriëls, then-president of the Flemish People's Union, and Hugo Coveliers. From the early 1990s, the VLD advanced in every election, only to get in government following the 1999 general election when the VLD became the largest party. Guy Verhofstadt became Prime Minister and Patrick Dewael became Minister-President of Flanders. They were both at the head of a coalition of liberals, social democrats and greens.

2007 electionsEdit

Before the 2007 general election, the VLD participated in a cartel with Vivant and Liberal Appeal. In February 2007, it decided to cease the cartel and start operating under the name Open VLD. On the 10 June 2007 general elections, Open VLD won 18 out of 150 seats in the Chamber of Representatives and five out of 40 seats in the Senate.

2010 electionsEdit

In the 2010 general election, Open VLD won 13 out of 150 seats in the Chamber of Representatives. After the long government formation process, on 6 December 2011 the Di Rupo Government was formed, with Open VLD one of the six constituent parties.

Ideology and supportEdit

Template:Sidebar with collapsible lists At its inception, the Open VLD was a classical liberal and somewhat right-libertarian party with support for free-markets and deregulation. Former party leader Guy Verhofstadt was compared to Margaret Thatcher in his beliefs during his time as party chairman. In the 1990s, the party switched from a libertarian to a more socially liberal position under Bart Somers. Some of the party's ideological influences have been Karl Popper, John Stuart Mill, Thomas Paine, Amartya Sen and Martha Nussbaum. The party also contained members from both social democratic and Flemish nationalist liberal-conservative backgrounds who have influenced the VLD's course, such as former Volksunie leader Jaak Gabriëls and Hugo Coveliers falling into the latter camp. Others had ties to the conservative-libertarian organization Nova Civitas, and were open to working with the Vlaams Blok and later Vlaams Belang party, although this was strongly opposed by the party leadership as a whole. Presently, the Open VLD retains an economically liberal position by supporting lower taxes and private property ownership while also closing tax loopholes. It supports a Canadian model of migration and for a more inclusive society towards immigrants, but claims not to endorse open borders and wants quicker deportation of illegal immigrants. It also retains a socially liberal stance on matters such as same-sex marriage, LGBT rights and introducing a third gender option on official documents, but also believes the government shouldn't interfere with matters related to sexuality.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> For a period, the party was considered the main centre-right rival to the Christian Democratic CD&V in the Flemish region and saw its highest period of support in the late 1990s and early 2000s. However, the emergence of the Flemish nationalist N-VA party and the LDD drew some of the party's conservative leaning voters away and contributed to a decline in votes. Ideological disputes also caused some of the party's more conservative and traditionalist libertarian wing such as Boudewijn Bouckaert, Jean-Marie Dedecker and Hugo Coveliers to leave the party. Dedecker later founded the LDD and Coveliers VLOTT while others joined the N-VA.<ref name="BanchoffSmith1999"/>

In 2024, Open VLD (along with MR) blocked Belgium from recognizing the State of Palestine.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Representation in EU institutionsEdit

The party is fairly pro-European,<ref name="Almeida107">Template:Cite book</ref> and sits in the Renew Europe group with two MEPs.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Then-Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt (VLD) was rejected as a candidate for the presidency of the European Commission in June 2004.

In the European Committee of the Regions, Open VLD sits in the Renew Europe CoR group, with two alternate members for the 2020-2025 mandate.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Jean-Luc Vanraes is Coordinator in the CIVEX Commission.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Members holding notable public officesEdit

European politicsEdit

European Parliament
Name Committees
Guy Verhofstadt citation CitationClass=web

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Hilde Vautmans citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

Federal politicsEdit

Senate
Type Name Notes
Co-opted Senator Template:Flagicon Rik Daems Faction leader
Community Senator Template:Flagicon Template:Ill
Community Senator Template:Flagicon Tom Ongena
Community Senator Template:Flagicon Steven Coenegrachts
Community Senator Template:Flagicon Stephanie D'Hose President of the Senate
Belgian Federal De Croo Government
Public Office Name Function
Prime Minister Alexander De Croo
Deputy Prime Minister Vincent Van Quickenborne Justice and the North Sea
Secretary of State Template:Ill Budget and Consumer Protection

Regional politicsEdit

Flemish Parliament
Name Notes Name Notes
Template:Flagicon Willem-Frederik Schiltz Fraction Leader Template:Flagicon Tom Ongena Community Senator
Template:Flagicon Gwendolyn Rutten Former Party President
mayor of Aarschot 		Template:Flagicon Gwenny De Vroe
Template:Flagicon Template:Ill Template:Flagicon Els Ampe Community Senator
Template:Flagicon Steven Coenegrachts Community Senator Template:Flagicon Marino Keulen Mayor of Lanaken
Template:Flagicon Stephanie D'Hose President of the Senate Template:Flagicon Jean-Jacques De Gucht Son of Karel De Gucht
Template:Flagicon Freya Saeys Template:Flagicon Bart Van Hulle
Template:Flagicon Bart Tommelein Former Flemish minister
mayor of Ostend 		Template:Flagicon Emmily Talpe Mayor of Ypres
Flemish Government Jambon
Public Office Name Function
Vice Minister-President Bart Somers Internal Affairs, Administrative Affairs, Integration, and Equal Opportunities
Minister Lydia Peeters Mobility and Public Works
Parliament of the Brussels-Capital Region
Name Notes
Carla Dejonghe Faction Leader
Guy Vanhengel Former federal minister
Khadija Zamouri
Brussels Regional Government Vervoort II
Public Office Name Function
Minister Sven Gatz Finance, Budget, Civil Service, Promotion of Multilingualism, Tourism, Statistics, Urbanism, Heritage, the image of Brussels and bicultural issues of regional importance

Provincial politicsEdit

Provincial Council
Province Percentage Seats
Antwerp Antwerp 4.7% Template:Composition bar
Limburg Limburg 12.7% Template:Composition bar
East Flanders East Flanders 11.3% Template:Composition bar
Flemish Brabant Flemish Brabant 10.7% Template:Composition bar
West Flanders West Flanders 8% Template:Composition bar

Election resultsEdit

Chamber of RepresentativesEdit

File:Kamer-1978-2014.png
The main six Flemish political parties and their results for the Chamber of Representatives. From 1978 to 2014, in percentages for the complete 'Kingdom'.
Election Votes % Seats +/- Government
1971 392,130 7.4 Template:Composition bar Template:No2
Template:Yes2
1974Template:Efn 798,818 15.2 Template:Composition bar Template:Increase 2 Template:Yes2
1977 475,917 8.5 Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease 4 Template:No2
1978 573,387 10.4 Template:Composition bar Template:Increase 5 Template:No2
Template:Yes2
Template:No2
1981 776,871 12.9 Template:Composition bar Template:Increase 6 Template:Yes2
1985 651,806 10.7 Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease 6 Template:Yes2
1987 709,758 11.5 Template:Composition bar Template:Increase 3 Template:No2
1991 738,016 12.0 Template:Composition bar Template:Increase 1 Template:No2
1995 798,363 13.1 Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease 5 Template:No2
1999 888,973 14.3 Template:Composition bar Template:Increase 2 Template:Yes2
2003 1,009,223 15.4 Template:Composition bar Template:Increase 2 Template:Yes2
2007 789,445 11.8 Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease 7 Template:Yes2
2010 563,873 8.6 Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease 5 Template:Yes2
2014 659,582 9.8 Template:Composition bar Template:Increase 1 Template:Yes2
2019 579,334 8.5 Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease 2 Template:Yes2
2024 380,659 5.5 Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease 4 Template:No2

SenateEdit

Election Votes % Seats +/-
1971Template:Efn 776,514 14.9 Template:Composition bar
1974Template:Efn 755,694 14.6 Template:Composition bar Template:Increase 4
1977 472,645 8.5 Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease 1
1978 572,535 10.4 Template:Composition bar Template:Increase 2
1981 781,137 13.1 Template:Composition bar Template:Increase 3
1985 637,776 10.5 Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease 3
1987 686,440 11.3 Template:Composition bar Template:Steady 0
1991 713,542 11.7 Template:Composition bar Template:Increase 2
1995 796,154 13.3 Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease 7
1999 952,116 15.4 Template:Composition bar Template:Steady 0
2003 1,007,868 15.4 Template:Composition bar Template:Increase 1
2007 821,980 12.4 Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease 2
2010 533,124 8.24 Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease 1
2014 N/A N/A Template:Composition bar Template:Increase 1

RegionalEdit

Brussels ParliamentEdit

Election Votes % Seats +/- Government
Template:Abbr Overall
1989 12,143 2.8 (#8) Template:Composition bar Template:No2
1995 11,034 2.7 (#8) Template:Composition bar Template:Steady 0 Template:No2
1999Template:Efn 13,729 22.7 (#3) 3.2 (#7) Template:Composition bar Template:Steady 0 Template:Yes2
2004Template:Efn 12,433 19.9 (#2) 2.7 (#7) Template:Composition bar Template:Increase 2 Template:Yes2
2009 11,957 23.1 (#1) 2.6 (#5) Template:Composition bar Template:Steady 0 Template:Yes2
2014 14,296 26.7 (#1) 3.1 (#7) Template:Composition bar Template:Increase 1 Template:Yes2
2019 11,051 15.8 (#3) 2.4 (#9) Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease 2 Template:Yes2
2024 8,537 10.6 (#4) 1.7 (#10) Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease 1 Template:TBA

Flemish ParliamentEdit

Election Votes % Seats +/- Government
1995 761,262 20.2 (#2) Template:Composition bar Template:No2
1999 855,867 21.7 (#2) Template:Composition bar Template:Increase 1 Template:Yes2
2004Template:Efn 804,578 19.8 (#3) Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease 2 Template:Yes2
2009 616,610 15.0 (#4) Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease 4 Template:No2
2014 594,469 14.2 (#3) Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease 2 Template:Yes2
2019 556,630 13.1 (#4) Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease 3 Template:Yes2
2024 364,609 8.3 (#5) Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease 7 Template:No2

Provincial councilsEdit

Election Votes % Councilors +/-
1994 708,769 Template:Composition bar
2000 909,428 Template:Composition bar Template:Increase 22
2006 745,952 18.9 Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease 26
2012 595,932 14.6 Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease 26
2018 570,601 13.7 Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease 31

European ParliamentEdit

Election List leader Votes % Seats +/- EP Group
Template:Abbr Overall
1994 Willy De Clercq 678,421 18.36 (#2) 11.37 Template:Composition bar New ELDR
1999 Annemie Neyts-Uyttebroeck 847,099 21.88 (#2) 13.61 Template:Composition bar Template:Steady 0
2004Template:Efn Guy Verhofstadt 880,279 21.91 (#2) 13.56 Template:Composition bar Template:Steady 0 ALDE
2009 837,834 20.56 (#2) 12.75 Template:Composition bar Template:Steady 0
2014 858,872 20.40 (#2) 12.84 Template:Composition bar Template:Steady 0
2019 678,051 15.95 (#3) 10.07 Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease 1 RE
2024 Hilde Vautmans 410,743 9.11 (#4) 5.76 Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease 1

Template:Notelist

InternationalEdit

The party is a member of the Liberal International, which was co-chaired by Annemie Neyts, member of Open VLD.

PresidentsEdit

Notable membersEdit

Notable former membersEdit

  • Boudewijn Bouckaert, a former VLD board member who left the party subsequently to Dedecker's exclusion, believing the party turned "left-liberal". He and Dedecker are founders of a new political party, List Dedecker, later renamed Libertarian, Direct, Democratic.
  • Hugo Coveliers, left the VLD to found his own political party VLOTT.
  • Jean-Marie Dedecker, was excluded from the VLD after several conflicts with the top of the party. He asked for an economic policy more in favour of free markets and limited government and believed that the party was too closely aligned with the Socialists. He founded the List Dedecker party, later Libertarian, Direct, Democratic.
  • Template:Ill, left the VLD to found his own political party Veilig Blauw (Safe Blue).
  • Ward Beysen, left the VLD to found his own political party Liberal Appeal.
  • Sihame El Kaouakibi, left the VLD after claims of embezzlement.

See alsoEdit

ReferencesEdit

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External linksEdit

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Template:ELDR member parties {{#invoke:Navbox|navbox}} Template:Renew Europe Template:Authority control

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