Gerolf Annemans
Encyclopedia
Gerolf Emma Jozef Annemans (born 8 November 1958 in Antwerp) is a Belgian
politician
. He is member of Vlaams Belang
, a nationalist
, conservative
and secession
ist political party
.
in 1982. He became member of the Vlaams Blok
in 1985 and was first elected to the Belgian Chamber of Representatives in 1987. He was member of the municipal council of Brasschaat
from 1995 to 1999; and since 2000 a member of the municipal council of Antwerp.
treaties. A reaction by Annemans to this was:
After the Vlaams Blok was condemned by the Belgian High Court for pursuing permanent incitement to discrimination and racial segregation, Annemans pronounced the following words at a Vlaams Blok congress:
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. He is member of 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...
, a nationalist
Nationalism
Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...
, conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
and secession
Secession
Secession is the act of withdrawing from an organization, union, or especially a political entity. Threats of secession also can be a strategy for achieving more limited goals.-Secession theory:...
ist political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
.
Political career
Annemans obtained a degree in lawLaw
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
in 1982. He became member of the Vlaams Blok
Vlaams Blok
The Vlaams Blok was a Belgian far-right and secessionist political party with an anti-immigration platform. Its ideologies embraced Flemish nationalism, calling for the independence of Flanders. From its creation in 1978, it was the most notable militant right wing of the Flemish movement. Vlaams...
in 1985 and was first elected to the Belgian Chamber of Representatives in 1987. He was member of the municipal council of Brasschaat
Brasschaat
Brasschaat is a municipality located in Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium, and in the Flemish province of Antwerp. The municipality only comprises the town of Brasschaat proper. In November 2006, Brasschaat won the LivCom-Award 2006 for the most liveable municipality in the world....
from 1995 to 1999; and since 2000 a member of the municipal council of Antwerp.
Opinions
Annemans was a co-author of the 70 steps plan of the Vlaams Blok, a plan where positions supposedly were taken in contradiction with a number of international Human RightsHuman rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
treaties. A reaction by Annemans to this was:
- "The Vlaams Blok indeed does not feel bound by the Universal Declaration of Human RightsUniversal Declaration of Human RightsThe Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a declaration adopted by the United Nations General Assembly . The Declaration arose directly from the experience of the Second World War and represents the first global expression of rights to which all human beings are inherently entitled...
. This UN-declaration was written together with people from SenegalSenegalSenegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
and Côte d'IvoireCôte d'IvoireThe Republic of Côte d'Ivoire or Ivory Coast is a country in West Africa. It has an area of , and borders the countries Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana; its southern boundary is along the Gulf of Guinea. The country's population was 15,366,672 in 1998 and was estimated to be...
. Here in BorgerhoutBorgerhoutBorgerhout 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...
[sub-urb of Antwerp ], we don't have to take that into account."
After the Vlaams Blok was condemned by the Belgian High Court for pursuing permanent incitement to discrimination and racial segregation, Annemans pronounced the following words at a Vlaams Blok congress:
- "The names of all the key legal players in the trial of the Vlaams Blok are firmly engraved in my memory. They are warned for the rest of their career." (15 November 2004)