Belgian municipal elections, 2006
Encyclopedia
The Belgian provincial and municipal elections, 2006 took place on Sunday 8 October 2006. The electors have elected the municipal counsellors of 589 cities and towns (308 in the Flemish Region
, 262 in the Walloon Region and 19 in the Brussels-Capital Region) as well as the ten provincial councils. The voters in the town of Antwerp have also been able to vote for the city's district
councils. In seven Flemish municipalities with a special language statute (Drogenbos
, Kraainem
, Linkebeek
, Sint-Genesius-Rode
, Wemmel
, Wezembeek-Oppem
and Voeren) and in the Walloon municipality of Comines-Warneton
the aldermen and the members of the OCMW council have also been directly elected.
It was the first municipal and provincial elections since the transfer of the competence with regards to the municipalities and provinces to the regions, also residents without E.U. citizenship could vote for the first time if they had registered to vote. The previous municipal and provincial elections took place on Sunday 8 October 2000.
City and provincial councillors are elected to a six year term. Newly elected councillors will take office in January 2007, with a term ending in 2013.
Points of notice are the result of the governing federal government coalition (liberal/social-democrat) - for whom a bad result could spell defeat in the Federal general elections to be held no later than June 2007 - and the result of the Vlaams Belang
party in Antwerp and the other Flemish towns.
The Flemish minister of the interior Marino Keulen
announced that the results of the elections held in the Flemish Region would be available in real time on the official dedicated government website www.vlaanderenkiest.be.
, Wallonia and the Brussels Capital Region.
The municipal councils were elected by a very rare form of Party-list proportional representation
, the Imperiali highest averages method
.
The parties presented themselves with lists of candidates. The number of candidates on the list usually was the total number of seats to be taken in the council. Each list received a random number, which was assigned by a lottery. Parties that had representatives in the regional parliaments, could receive a number that is the same in the entire region. Other parties' numbers varied from municipality to municipality. These numbers started after the regional numbers (8 and higher in Flanders, 14 and higher in Brussels, 6 and higher in Wallonia).
The regional list numbers :
The list numbers used were the same as for the municipalities.
and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel
, yielded the following overall result for Flanders, compared to the 2004 regional elections
(the last column displays the difference between the latest polls and that result):
The last poll not taking into account alliances dates from September 2006 and showed these results:
and VRT
yielded the following overall results for Flanders
, compared to the 2004 regional elections
(the last column displays the difference between the latest polls and that result):
and VRT
, taken between 31 January and 23 February 2006, compared to the 2000 municipal elections
(the last column displays the difference between the latest polls and that result):
July and September 2006 polls conducted by the Stemmenkampioen site of Het Laatste Nieuws
and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel
, yielded the following result for Antwerp, compared to the 2000 municipal elections
(the last column displays the difference between the latest polls and that result)::
and the Sud Presse in June 2006 showed the following results, compared to the 2000 municipal elections
(the last column displays the difference between the latest polls and that result):
Charleroi
achieves status quo in large cities as Antwerp, Brussels
and Ghent
but advances strongly in the countryside. The CD&V-N-VA
gains nearly everywhere, VLD and Groen! lose nearly everywhere. The VLD was able to consolidate where they put forth nationally known candidates, like Guy Verhofstadt
in Ghent and Vincent Van Quickenborne
in Kortrijk
. The SP.A
-Spirit
puts strong results in cities like Antwerp, Ghent and Ostend
but has mixed results in other places.
Most coalitions before the elections can continue with a stronger backing, most notably in Ghent and Mechelen
. An exception to this general 'rule' is Vilvoorde
, where former prime minister
Jean-Luc Dehaene
loses his majority.
In Ostend
, the Socialist Party became the winners, under direction of Johan Vande Lanotte
. Jean-Marie Dedecker
, was a local candidate for the VLD, who in the run-up to the elections clashed severely with Vande Lanotte. Dedecker has since been ejected by the VLD and has formed his own party Lijst Dedecker .
, Deurne
and Hoboken, where it was believed Vlaams Belang
could obtain an absolute majority. This however did not turn out to be the case, even though the party does advance in all but two districts (Antwerp and Borgerhout
). Most notably, in Hoboken a majority without Vlaams Belang will only be possible by including the extreme left PVDA
, although another party, N-VA
, has already ruled out such a coalition.
In Namur, the capital of Wallonia, the Socialist Party
(PS) lost 7.4% of its votes, enough for the local Christian-democrats (cdH
), Liberals (MR
) and Greens (Ecolo
) to start a coalition, breaking with the 30-year Socialist hegemony there. Jacques Etienne of chH will become the new mayor.
Flemish Region
The Flemish Region is one of the three official regions of the Kingdom of Belgium—alongside the Walloon Region and the Brussels-Capital Region. Colloquially, it is usually simply referred to as Flanders, of which it is the institutional iteration within the context of the Belgian political system...
, 262 in the Walloon Region and 19 in the Brussels-Capital Region) as well as the ten provincial councils. The voters in the town of Antwerp have also been able to vote for the city's district
District
Districts are a type of administrative division, in some countries managed by a local government. They vary greatly in size, spanning entire regions or counties, several municipalities, or subdivisions of municipalities.-Austria:...
councils. In seven Flemish municipalities with a special language statute (Drogenbos
Drogenbos
Drogenbos is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. The municipality only comprises the town of Drogenbos proper. On January 1, 2006 Drogenbos had a total population of 4,876. The total area is 2.49 km² which gives a population density of 1,957 inhabitants per...
, Kraainem
Kraainem
Kraainem is a municipality in the province of Flemish Brabant, in Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium. The municipality only comprises the town of Kraainem proper. On January 1, 2006 Kraainem had a total population of 13,150...
, Linkebeek
Linkebeek
Linkebeek is a Belgian municipality in Flanders, part of the province of Flemish Brabant, in the bilingual electoral and judicial district of Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde, and in the administrative district of Halle-Vilvoorde. The municipality only comprises the town of Linkebeek proper. As of January...
, Sint-Genesius-Rode
Sint-Genesius-Rode
Sint-Genesius-Rode is a municipality located in Flanders, one of three regions of Belgium, in the province of Flemish Brabant. The municipality comprises the town of Sint-Genesius-Rode only. On January 1, 2008, the town had a total population of 18,021...
, Wemmel
Wemmel
Wemmel is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. The municipality only comprises the town of Wemmel proper. On January 1, 2006 Wemmel had a total population of 14,774. The total area is 8.74 km² which gives a population density of 1,690 inhabitants per km².The...
, Wezembeek-Oppem
Wezembeek-Oppem
Wezembeek-Oppem is a municipality in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant, ten kilometres east of the centre of Brussels. The municipality only comprises the town of Wezembeek-Oppem proper. On January 1, 2006 Wezembeek-Oppem had a total population of 13,504...
and Voeren) and in the Walloon municipality of Comines-Warneton
Comines-Warneton
Comines-Warneton is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Hainaut. On January 1, 2006, Comines-Warneton had a total population of 17,562. The total area is 61.09 km² which gives a population density of 287 inhabitants per km². The name "Comines" is believed to have a...
the aldermen and the members of the OCMW council have also been directly elected.
It was the first municipal and provincial elections since the transfer of the competence with regards to the municipalities and provinces to the regions, also residents without E.U. citizenship could vote for the first time if they had registered to vote. The previous municipal and provincial elections took place on Sunday 8 October 2000.
City and provincial councillors are elected to a six year term. Newly elected councillors will take office in January 2007, with a term ending in 2013.
Points of notice are the result of the governing federal government coalition (liberal/social-democrat) - for whom a bad result could spell defeat in the Federal general elections to be held no later than June 2007 - and the result of the Vlaams Belang
Vlaams Belang
Vlaams Belang is a Belgian far-right political party in the Flemish Region and Brussels that advocates the independence of Flanders and strict limits on immigration, whereby immigrants would be obliged to adopt Flemish culture and language...
party in Antwerp and the other Flemish towns.
Organisation
The municipal and provincial elections of 2006 were the first of its kind to be organized by the Regions instead of the federal government. The competence with regards to the municipalities and provinces was transferred from the federation to the Regions by special law of 13 June 2001.Marino Keulen
Marino Ghislainus Keulen is a Flemish politician and member of the Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats party. He is a representative in the Flemish Parliament, and served in the Flemish Government of 2004-2009 as Minister of Home Affairs, Urban Policy, Housing and Civic Integration...
announced that the results of the elections held in the Flemish Region would be available in real time on the official dedicated government website www.vlaanderenkiest.be.
Municipal elections
These have taken place in FlandersFlanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
, Wallonia and the Brussels Capital Region.
The municipal councils were elected by a very rare form of Party-list proportional representation
Party-list proportional representation
Party-list proportional representation systems are a family of voting systems emphasizing proportional representation in elections in which multiple candidates are elected...
, the Imperiali highest averages method
Highest averages method
The highest averages method is the name for a variety of ways to allocate seats proportionally for representative assemblies with party list voting systems....
.
The parties presented themselves with lists of candidates. The number of candidates on the list usually was the total number of seats to be taken in the council. Each list received a random number, which was assigned by a lottery. Parties that had representatives in the regional parliaments, could receive a number that is the same in the entire region. Other parties' numbers varied from municipality to municipality. These numbers started after the regional numbers (8 and higher in Flanders, 14 and higher in Brussels, 6 and higher in Wallonia).
The regional list numbers :
| Flemish Region | Brussels Region | Walloon Region |
|---|---|---|
|
Socialist Party (francophone Belgium) The Socialist Party is a Francophone social-democratic political party in Belgium. As of the 2010 elections, it is the second largest party in the Belgian Chamber of Representatives and the largest Francophone party... Reformist Movement The Reformist Movement is a French-speaking liberal political party in Belgium. The party was in coalition as part of the Leterme II Government, and was also part of the governing coalition in the Walloon Region and Brussels-Capital Region until the 2004 regional elections... Vivant Vivant is a small Belgian social liberal party founded by millionaire Roland Duchâtelet. In the regional elections in June 2004, the party formed a strategic alliance with the Flemish Liberals and Democrats . Both parties are founded on the principle of individualism and can be called liberal... Vlaams Belang Vlaams Belang is a Belgian far-right political party in the Flemish Region and Brussels that advocates the independence of Flanders and strict limits on immigration, whereby immigrants would be obliged to adopt Flemish culture and language... Democratic Front of Francophones The Francophone Democratic Federalists , is a Francophone political party based in Brussels, Belgium founded on 11 May 1964. Until 1982, the FDF dominated Brussels' municipal politics. It is led by Deputy Olivier Maingain.... Citizens' Movement for Change Citizens' Movement for Change is a Christian Democratic political party in the French Community of Belgium founded by Gérard Deprez. It is a component of the Mouvement Réformateur.... Ecolo Ecolo is a French-speaking Belgian green political party in Wallonia, Brussels and the German-speaking Community of Belgium... National Front (Belgium) The National Front is a francophone Belgian far-right political party. The party's ideology advocates a strong unitary Belgian nationalism and is strongly against immigration.The party's acting leader is Patrick Cocriamont.... Humanist Democratic Centre The Humanist Democratic Centre is a Francophone Christian democratic political party in Belgium. The cdH currently participates in the Government of the Brussels-Capital Region, the Government of the French Community and the Walloon Government.- History :... |
National Front (Belgium) The National Front is a francophone Belgian far-right political party. The party's ideology advocates a strong unitary Belgian nationalism and is strongly against immigration.The party's acting leader is Patrick Cocriamont.... Ecolo Ecolo is a French-speaking Belgian green political party in Wallonia, Brussels and the German-speaking Community of Belgium... Socialist Party (francophone Belgium) The Socialist Party is a Francophone social-democratic political party in Belgium. As of the 2010 elections, it is the second largest party in the Belgian Chamber of Representatives and the largest Francophone party... Reformist Movement The Reformist Movement is a French-speaking liberal political party in Belgium. The party was in coalition as part of the Leterme II Government, and was also part of the governing coalition in the Walloon Region and Brussels-Capital Region until the 2004 regional elections... Humanist Democratic Centre The Humanist Democratic Centre is a Francophone Christian democratic political party in Belgium. The cdH currently participates in the Government of the Brussels-Capital Region, the Government of the French Community and the Walloon Government.- History :... |
Provincial elections
These have taken place in Flanders and Wallonia. In the Brussels Capital Region no provincial elections were held as Brussels is not part of any Belgian province, the provincial competences almost entirely being assumed by the Region, the Agglomeration and the Community Commissions.The list numbers used were the same as for the municipalities.
Het Laatste Nieuws
The polls conducted by the Stemmenkampioen site of Het Laatste NieuwsHet Laatste Nieuws
Het Laatste Nieuws is a Dutch language newspaper based in Brussels, Belgium. It was founded by Julius Hoste Sr. on 7 June 1888. It is now part of De Persgroep, and has a circulation of 292,410 copies, making it the most popular newspaper in Flanders and Belgium.- Comics :During World War II, The...
and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Vrije Universiteit Brussel
The Vrije Universiteit Brussel is a Flemish university located in Brussels, Belgium. It has two campuses referred to as Etterbeek and Jette.The university's name is sometimes abbreviated by "VUB" or translated to "Free University of Brussels"...
, yielded the following overall result for Flanders, compared to the 2004 regional elections
Belgian regional elections, 2004
On June 13, 2004, regional elections were held in Belgium, to choose representatives in the regional councils of the Flemish Parliament, the Walloon Parliament, the Brussels Parliament and the German-speaking Community of Belgium...
(the last column displays the difference between the latest polls and that result):
| Party/Alliance | 06/2004 (%) | 12/2005 (%) | 03/2006 (%) | 05/2006 (%) | 06/2006 (%) | 09/2006 (%) | diff '04 (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CD&V - N-VA | 26.1 | 30.9 | 31.7 | 30.7 | 30.6 | 31.1 | +5.0 |
| Vlaams Belang Vlaams Belang Vlaams Belang is a Belgian far-right political party in the Flemish Region and Brussels that advocates the independence of Flanders and strict limits on immigration, whereby immigrants would be obliged to adopt Flemish culture and language... |
24.2 | 26.8 | 27.4 | 28.2 | 28.9 | 28.2 | +4.0 |
| SP.a - Spirit | 19.7 | 17.9 | 17.0 | 17.3 | 17.5 | 17.3 | -2.4 |
| VLD - Vivant Vivant Vivant is a small Belgian social liberal party founded by millionaire Roland Duchâtelet. In the regional elections in June 2004, the party formed a strategic alliance with the Flemish Liberals and Democrats . Both parties are founded on the principle of individualism and can be called liberal... |
19.8 | 14.5 | 14.7 | 14.5 | 14.1 | 14.2 | -5.6 |
| Groen! | 7.6 | 6.6 | 6.6 | 6.7 | 6.5 | 6.1 | -1.5 |
| Others | 2.7 | 3.2 | 2.7 | 2.6 | 2.4 | 3.1 | +0.4 |
The last poll not taking into account alliances dates from September 2006 and showed these results:
| Party | Results (%) |
|---|---|
| Vlaams Belang Vlaams Belang Vlaams Belang is a Belgian far-right political party in the Flemish Region and Brussels that advocates the independence of Flanders and strict limits on immigration, whereby immigrants would be obliged to adopt Flemish culture and language... |
28.2 |
| CD&V | 23.3 |
| SP.a | 15.9 |
| VLD | 13.6 |
| N-VA | 7.8 |
| Groen! | 6.1 |
| Spirit | 1.4 |
| Vivant Vivant Vivant is a small Belgian social liberal party founded by millionaire Roland Duchâtelet. In the regional elections in June 2004, the party formed a strategic alliance with the Flemish Liberals and Democrats . Both parties are founded on the principle of individualism and can be called liberal... |
0.6 |
| Others | 3.1 |
Standaard - VRT
The latest poll by De StandaardDe Standaard
De Standaard is a Flemish daily newspaper published in Belgium by Corelio . Circulation was about 102.280 in 2007. It was traditionally a Christian-Democratic paper, associated with the Christian-Democratic and Flemish Party, and in opposition to the Socialist Flemish daily De Morgen...
and VRT
Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroep
The Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroeporganisatie , or VRT, is a publicly-funded broadcaster of radio and television in Flanders ....
yielded the following overall results for Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
, compared to the 2004 regional elections
Belgian regional elections, 2004
On June 13, 2004, regional elections were held in Belgium, to choose representatives in the regional councils of the Flemish Parliament, the Walloon Parliament, the Brussels Parliament and the German-speaking Community of Belgium...
(the last column displays the difference between the latest polls and that result):
| Party/Alliance | 06/2004 (%) | 02/2006 (%) | 06/2006 (%) | diff '04 (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CD&V - N-VA | 26.1 | 29.1 | 29.4 | +3.3 |
| Vlaams Belang Vlaams Belang Vlaams Belang is a Belgian far-right political party in the Flemish Region and Brussels that advocates the independence of Flanders and strict limits on immigration, whereby immigrants would be obliged to adopt Flemish culture and language... |
24.2 | 22.5 | 23.1 | -1.1 |
| SP.a - Spirit | 19.7 | 20.4 | 20.7 | +1.0 |
| VLD - Vivant Vivant Vivant is a small Belgian social liberal party founded by millionaire Roland Duchâtelet. In the regional elections in June 2004, the party formed a strategic alliance with the Flemish Liberals and Democrats . Both parties are founded on the principle of individualism and can be called liberal... |
19.8 | 18.9 | 18.2 | -1.6 |
| Groen! | 7.6 | 8.7 | 7.5 | -0.1 |
| Others | 2.7 | 0.4 | 1.0 | -1.7 |
Antwerp
Poll by the Gazet van AntwerpenGazet van Antwerpen
The Gazet van Antwerpen is a Belgian newspaper in Antwerp and Flanders, published by Concentra.-History:...
and VRT
Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroep
The Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroeporganisatie , or VRT, is a publicly-funded broadcaster of radio and television in Flanders ....
, taken between 31 January and 23 February 2006, compared to the 2000 municipal elections
Belgian municipal elections, 2000
The Belgian provincial and municipal elections, 2000 took place on Sunday October 8, 2000. The electors elected the municipal counsellors of 589 cities and towns as well as the ten provincial councils.City and provincial councillors were elected to a six year term...
(the last column displays the difference between the latest polls and that result):
| Party | 10/2000 (%) | 02/2006 (%) | diff '00 (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vlaams Belang Vlaams Belang Vlaams Belang is a Belgian far-right political party in the Flemish Region and Brussels that advocates the independence of Flanders and strict limits on immigration, whereby immigrants would be obliged to adopt Flemish culture and language... - VLOTT VLOTT VLOTT is a Belgian right-wing liberal or fortuynist political party. The acronym VLOTT stands for Flemish Liberal Independent Tolerant and Transparent . It was founded on November 23, 2005 by ex-Flemish Liberals and Democrats member Hugo Coveliers... |
33.0 | 34.2 | +1.2 |
| SP.a - Spirit | 19.5 | 23.8 | +4.3 |
| VLD - Vivant Vivant Vivant is a small Belgian social liberal party founded by millionaire Roland Duchâtelet. In the regional elections in June 2004, the party formed a strategic alliance with the Flemish Liberals and Democrats . Both parties are founded on the principle of individualism and can be called liberal... |
18.5 | 12.9 | -5.6 |
| CD&V - N-VA | 14.2 | 14.5 | +0.3 |
| Groen! | 11.1 | 8.3 | -2.8 |
| Others | 3.7 | 6.3 | +2.6 |
July and September 2006 polls conducted by the Stemmenkampioen site of Het Laatste Nieuws
Het Laatste Nieuws
Het Laatste Nieuws is a Dutch language newspaper based in Brussels, Belgium. It was founded by Julius Hoste Sr. on 7 June 1888. It is now part of De Persgroep, and has a circulation of 292,410 copies, making it the most popular newspaper in Flanders and Belgium.- Comics :During World War II, The...
and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Vrije Universiteit Brussel
The Vrije Universiteit Brussel is a Flemish university located in Brussels, Belgium. It has two campuses referred to as Etterbeek and Jette.The university's name is sometimes abbreviated by "VUB" or translated to "Free University of Brussels"...
, yielded the following result for Antwerp, compared to the 2000 municipal elections
Belgian municipal elections, 2000
The Belgian provincial and municipal elections, 2000 took place on Sunday October 8, 2000. The electors elected the municipal counsellors of 589 cities and towns as well as the ten provincial councils.City and provincial councillors were elected to a six year term...
(the last column displays the difference between the latest polls and that result)::
| Party | 10/2000 (%) | 07/2006 (%) | 09/2006 (%) | diff '00 (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vlaams Belang Vlaams Belang Vlaams Belang is a Belgian far-right political party in the Flemish Region and Brussels that advocates the independence of Flanders and strict limits on immigration, whereby immigrants would be obliged to adopt Flemish culture and language... - VLOTT VLOTT VLOTT is a Belgian right-wing liberal or fortuynist political party. The acronym VLOTT stands for Flemish Liberal Independent Tolerant and Transparent . It was founded on November 23, 2005 by ex-Flemish Liberals and Democrats member Hugo Coveliers... |
33.0 | 34.2 | 38.6 | +5.6 |
| SP.a - Spirit | 19.5 | 20.2 | 21.1 | +1.6 |
| VLD - Vivant Vivant Vivant is a small Belgian social liberal party founded by millionaire Roland Duchâtelet. In the regional elections in June 2004, the party formed a strategic alliance with the Flemish Liberals and Democrats . Both parties are founded on the principle of individualism and can be called liberal... |
18.5 | 10.2 | 8.5 | -10.0 |
| CD&V - N-VA | 14.2 | 19.4 | 16.6 | +2.4 |
| Groen! | 11.1 | 7.2 | 6.2 | -4.9 |
| Others | 3.7 | 8.8 | 9.0 | -5.3 |
Walloon Region
A poll conducted by the RTBFRTBF
Radio Télévision Belge Francophone is the public broadcasting organization of the French Community of Belgium, the southern, French-speaking part of Belgium...
and the Sud Presse in June 2006 showed the following results, compared to the 2000 municipal elections
Belgian municipal elections, 2000
The Belgian provincial and municipal elections, 2000 took place on Sunday October 8, 2000. The electors elected the municipal counsellors of 589 cities and towns as well as the ten provincial councils.City and provincial councillors were elected to a six year term...
(the last column displays the difference between the latest polls and that result):
CharleroiCharleroiCharleroi is a city and a municipality of Wallonia, located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. , the total population of Charleroi was 201,593. The metropolitan area, including the outer commuter zone, covers an area of and had a total population of 522,522 as of 1 January 2008, ranking it as...
| Party | 10/2000 (%) | 06/2006 (%) | diff '00 (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Socialist Party Socialist Party (francophone Belgium) The Socialist Party is a Francophone social-democratic political party in Belgium. As of the 2010 elections, it is the second largest party in the Belgian Chamber of Representatives and the largest Francophone party... (Parti Socialiste) |
51.4 | 31.9 | -19.5 |
| Reformist Movement Reformist Movement The Reformist Movement is a French-speaking liberal political party in Belgium. The party was in coalition as part of the Leterme II Government, and was also part of the governing coalition in the Walloon Region and Brussels-Capital Region until the 2004 regional elections... (Mouvement Réformateur) |
16.1 | 23.1 | +7.0 |
| Humanist Democratic Centre Humanist Democratic Centre The Humanist Democratic Centre is a Francophone Christian democratic political party in Belgium. The cdH currently participates in the Government of the Brussels-Capital Region, the Government of the French Community and the Walloon Government.- History :... (Centre Démocrate Humaniste) |
9.6 | 14.9 | +5.0 |
| Ecolo Ecolo Ecolo is a French-speaking Belgian green political party in Wallonia, Brussels and the German-speaking Community of Belgium... |
11.4 | 11.0 | -0.4 |
| National Front National Front (Belgium) The National Front is a francophone Belgian far-right political party. The party's ideology advocates a strong unitary Belgian nationalism and is strongly against immigration.The party's acting leader is Patrick Cocriamont.... (Front National) |
6.9 | 16.5 | +9.6 |
Provinces
The provincial elections are the only 2006 elections that allow for a national comparison, since in municipal elections not all parties run in all municipalities.| Party | 2006 (%) |
|---|---|
| CD&V - N-VA | 30.6 |
| Vlaams Belang Vlaams Belang Vlaams Belang is a Belgian far-right political party in the Flemish Region and Brussels that advocates the independence of Flanders and strict limits on immigration, whereby immigrants would be obliged to adopt Flemish culture and language... |
20.7 |
| SP.a - SPIRIT | 19.6 |
| VLD - Vivant Vivant Vivant is a small Belgian social liberal party founded by millionaire Roland Duchâtelet. In the regional elections in June 2004, the party formed a strategic alliance with the Flemish Liberals and Democrats . Both parties are founded on the principle of individualism and can be called liberal... |
18.9 |
| Groen! | 7.4 |
| Others | 2.8 |
Municipalities
Most important conclusions are that Vlaams BelangVlaams Belang
Vlaams Belang is a Belgian far-right political party in the Flemish Region and Brussels that advocates the independence of Flanders and strict limits on immigration, whereby immigrants would be obliged to adopt Flemish culture and language...
achieves status quo in large cities as Antwerp, Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
and Ghent
Ghent
Ghent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...
but advances strongly in the countryside. The CD&V-N-VA
New-Flemish Alliance
' is a Flemish right-wing political party, founded in the autumn of 2001. It is a conservative and liberal movement that promotes civic nationalism...
gains nearly everywhere, VLD and Groen! lose nearly everywhere. The VLD was able to consolidate where they put forth nationally known candidates, like Guy Verhofstadt
Guy Verhofstadt
Guy Verhofstadt is a Belgian politician who was the 47th Prime Minister of Belgium from 1999 to 2008. He is currently a Member of the European Parliament and leader of the Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe.- Early career :...
in Ghent and Vincent Van Quickenborne
Vincent Van Quickenborne
Vincent Paul Marie Van Quickenborne is a Belgian politician, as a member of the Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats party....
in Kortrijk
Kortrijk
Kortrijk ; , ; ) is a Belgian city and municipality located in the Flemish province West Flanders...
. The SP.A
Socialist Party - Different
' is a Flemish social-democratic party in Belgium. It was formerly known as the Socialistische Partij , which in turn had branched off from the Belgian Socialist Party, itself formed by former members of the Belgian Labour Party.-1978-now:The party was the big winner in the 2003 election, running...
-Spirit
Spirit (Belgium)
' was a Belgian Flemish political party formed after dissolution of the moderate nationalist People's Union party. Prior to 19 April 2008 it was known as Spirit, and intermediately as Flemish Progressives...
puts strong results in cities like Antwerp, Ghent and Ostend
Ostend
Ostend is a Belgian city and municipality located in the Flemish province of West Flanders. It comprises the boroughs of Mariakerke , Stene and Zandvoorde, and the city of Ostend proper – the largest on the Belgian coast....
but has mixed results in other places.
Most coalitions before the elections can continue with a stronger backing, most notably in Ghent and Mechelen
Mechelen
Mechelen Footnote: Mechelen became known in English as 'Mechlin' from which the adjective 'Mechlinian' is derived...
. An exception to this general 'rule' is Vilvoorde
Vilvoorde
Vilvoorde is a Belgian municipality in the Flemish province of Flemish Brabant. The municipality comprises the city of Vilvoorde proper with its two outlying quarters of Koningslo and Houtem and the small town of Peutie...
, where former prime minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Jean-Luc Dehaene
Jean-Luc Dehaene
-Early life and political career:He was born in Montpellier, France, when his parents were fleeing German troops. He got into politics through the Algemeen Christelijk Werknemersverbond , a trade union which was closely linked to the Christelijke Volkspartij .In 1981, he became Minister of Social...
loses his majority.
Antwerp
| Party | 2000 (%) | seats 2000 | 2006 (%) | seats 2006 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP.a - SPIRIT * | 19.5 | 12 | 35.5 | 22 |
| Vlaams Belang Vlaams Belang Vlaams Belang is a Belgian far-right political party in the Flemish Region and Brussels that advocates the independence of Flanders and strict limits on immigration, whereby immigrants would be obliged to adopt Flemish culture and language... - VLOTT VLOTT VLOTT is a Belgian right-wing liberal or fortuynist political party. The acronym VLOTT stands for Flemish Liberal Independent Tolerant and Transparent . It was founded on November 23, 2005 by ex-Flemish Liberals and Democrats member Hugo Coveliers... |
33.0 | 20 | 33.5 | 20 |
| VLD - Vivant Vivant Vivant is a small Belgian social liberal party founded by millionaire Roland Duchâtelet. In the regional elections in June 2004, the party formed a strategic alliance with the Flemish Liberals and Democrats . Both parties are founded on the principle of individualism and can be called liberal... |
18.5 | 10 | 9.7 | 5 |
| CD&V - N-VA * | 11.1 | 6 | 11.2 | 6 |
| Groen! | 11.1 | 6 | 4.7 | 2 |
| VU-ID * | 3.1 | 1 | – | – |
| Others | 3.9 | 0 | 6.2 | 0 |
-
- In 2001 the VU-ID split up in 2 wings: the centre-right Flemish nationalist NVA, which formed a cartel with the Christian Democratic CD&V and the social-liberal Spirit which formed a cartel with the Socialist SPA.
Ostend
In Ostend
Ostend
Ostend is a Belgian city and municipality located in the Flemish province of West Flanders. It comprises the boroughs of Mariakerke , Stene and Zandvoorde, and the city of Ostend proper – the largest on the Belgian coast....
, the Socialist Party became the winners, under direction of Johan Vande Lanotte
Johan Vande Lanotte
Johan Cyrille Corneel Vande Lanotte is a Belgian politician. He is a member of the SP.A, and became its party president on 15 October 2005...
. Jean-Marie Dedecker
Jean-Marie Dedecker
Jean-Marie Louis Dedecker is a Belgian Flemish politician.In 1999 and 2003, Dedecker was directly elected to the Belgian Senate. In 2004 Dedecker ran for a seat in the Flemish Parliament, after taking his seat in the Flemish Parliament, Dedecker was elected by his colleagues as a community senator...
, was a local candidate for the VLD, who in the run-up to the elections clashed severely with Vande Lanotte. Dedecker has since been ejected by the VLD and has formed his own party Lijst Dedecker .
Districts (Antwerp)
Heavily anticipated were the results for MerksemMerksem
Merksem is a district of the municipality and city of Antwerp in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It has almost 41,000 inhabitants.-History:The history of Merksem goes back to Gallo-Roman times. During that period the region was mentioned as Merk and Heim being part of the diocese Kamerijk...
, Deurne
Deurne (Belgium)
Deurne is the second largest district of the municipality of Antwerp, Belgium, and has 69,408 inhabitants.-Ancien régime:During the Ancien régime Deurne was nothing more than part of the Eastern hinterland of Antwerp...
and Hoboken, where it was believed Vlaams Belang
Vlaams Belang
Vlaams Belang is a Belgian far-right political party in the Flemish Region and Brussels that advocates the independence of Flanders and strict limits on immigration, whereby immigrants would be obliged to adopt Flemish culture and language...
could obtain an absolute majority. This however did not turn out to be the case, even though the party does advance in all but two districts (Antwerp and Borgerhout
Borgerhout
Borgerhout is a district of the municipality and city of Antwerp in the Flemish Region of Belgium. The district houses 41,614 inhabitants reflecting 90 nationalities...
). Most notably, in Hoboken a majority without Vlaams Belang will only be possible by including the extreme left PVDA
Workers Party of Belgium
The Workers' Party of Belgium is a Marxist political party in Belgium. It is one of the few parties that operates as a single Belgian party...
, although another party, N-VA
New-Flemish Alliance
' is a Flemish right-wing political party, founded in the autumn of 2001. It is a conservative and liberal movement that promotes civic nationalism...
, has already ruled out such a coalition.
Namur
In Namur, the capital of Wallonia, the Socialist Party
Socialist Party (francophone Belgium)
The Socialist Party is a Francophone social-democratic political party in Belgium. As of the 2010 elections, it is the second largest party in the Belgian Chamber of Representatives and the largest Francophone party...
(PS) lost 7.4% of its votes, enough for the local Christian-democrats (cdH
Humanist Democratic Centre
The Humanist Democratic Centre is a Francophone Christian democratic political party in Belgium. The cdH currently participates in the Government of the Brussels-Capital Region, the Government of the French Community and the Walloon Government.- History :...
), Liberals (MR
Reformist Movement
The Reformist Movement is a French-speaking liberal political party in Belgium. The party was in coalition as part of the Leterme II Government, and was also part of the governing coalition in the Walloon Region and Brussels-Capital Region until the 2004 regional elections...
) and Greens (Ecolo
Ecolo
Ecolo is a French-speaking Belgian green political party in Wallonia, Brussels and the German-speaking Community of Belgium...
) to start a coalition, breaking with the 30-year Socialist hegemony there. Jacques Etienne of chH will become the new mayor.