With Belgian elections looming in June, the far-right party Vlaams Belang is witnessing a historic surge, polling just under 28 percent in Flanders, marking its highest-ever result.
As the country gears up for regional, national, and European elections in just 100 days, Vlaams Belang is solidifying its position as the dominant force in both Flanders and Belgium as a whole.
The latest poll, conducted by the University of Antwerp on behalf of media outlets De Standaard and VRT NWS, surveyed 2,029 residents of the Flemish region.
These findings underscore the ascent of the far-right in Belgium, with more moderate right-wing parties experiencing dwindling support. The Flemish nationalist party N-VA, which was Flanders' largest party in the 2019 elections, dipped below 20 percent in the latest poll.
Following Vlaams Belang and the N-VA, the Flemish socialist party Vooruit emerges as the third-largest party, albeit significantly behind with 13.7 percent. Meanwhile, the Flemish Christian democratic party CD&V, though polling at 11.3 percent, has halted its steady decline, albeit below its 2019 election performance.
The far-left PVDA has doubled its 2019 election result, polling at 10.7 percent. Open VLD, the Flemish liberal party led by Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, remains stagnant at 9 percent, while the Flemish green party Groen registers at 8.2 percent.
Notable are the shifts in voter support among the parties. N-VA appears to be hemorrhaging votes to Vlaams Belang significantly, while also experiencing losses to Vooruit and even PVDA. Conversely, N-VA gains voters from both CD&V and Open VLD, while Vlaams Belang garners support from nearly all quarters without facing significant losses.
It's important to note that the poll was conducted before Belgium witnessed widespread farmer protests, and the margin of uncertainty in the results allows for variations in party rankings. For instance, if CD&V achieves its maximum score and Vooruit its minimum, CD&V could secure the third spot. Photo by Tömmchen, Wikimedia commons.