The Nieuw-Vlaamse Alliantie ("New-Flemish Alliance") is a Flemish nationalist and center-right political party, founded in the autumn of 2001. It is a liberal-conservative movement that strives for peaceful secession of Flanders from Belgium. The party is also known for fighting for laws that force the non-native Dutch speaking inhabitants of Flanders to only use Dutch, Flanders' sole official language, in their communication with the government, and for the promotion of the use of Dutch in Flanders as the language enabling integration.

Volksunie

In 2001, the Volksunie ("People's Union") split into two parties: Spirit and N-VA, the Nieuw-Vlaamse Alliantie. This was the result of internal struggles between the right-wing base and the left-wing leadership. The chairman of the Volksunie, Geert Bourgeois, won a referendum among the members with 47% of the votes. The leftist/social-democratic group of Bert Anciaux got 22% of the votes. 31% voted against a split. Since no group got over 50%, the name Volksunie couldn't be in use any longer.

The N-VA has entered into an election cartel with the CD&V for the elections in 2004, and did so again for the 2007 elections. The cartel was briefly broken when Jean-Marie Dedecker entered the N-VA on behalf of the party executive. However, the party congress did not put Dedecker on the election list, instead preferring to continue the cartel with CD&V. Dedecker saw this as a vote of no confidence, and left the party after only 10 days, later forming his own party, List Dedecker. Deputy leader Brepoels, who supported Dedecker, stepped down from the party board afterwards. The cartel was ended again, this time definitely, on 24 September 2008.

Foundation and ideology

The Nieuw-Vlaamse Alliantie (New-Flemish Alliance - N-VA) is a young political party, founded in the autumn of 2001. Being one of the continuators of the Volksunie (1954-2001), it is, however, based on an established political tradition. The N-VA works towards the same goal as its predecessor: to shape a radical Flemish-nationalism in a contemporary way.

In the political sphere, the N-VA pleads for a Flemish republic, member state of a democratic European confederation. The party believes that the challenges of the 21st century can best be answered from strong communities on the one hand and from a well developed international co-operation on the other hand.

Membership

The N-VA has members across the political spectrum, but as a whole it is considered center-right. It is seen as a democratic alternative to the far right Vlaams Belang. Its motives for secession are mainly pragmatic and rational.

Electorate

At the federal elections in 2003 N-VA got 3.1% of the votes, but only one seat in the federal parliament. In February 2004 they formed an alliance (cartel) with the CD&V ("Christian Democratic and Flemish"). The cartel won the elections for the Flemish parliament. The N-VA received a total of 6 seats.

2007 elections

In the 10 June 2007 general elections, the cartel won 30 out of 150 seats in the Chamber of Representatives and 9 out of 40 seats in the Senate.

Representation

Members in the European Parliament

• Frieda Brepoels

Members in the Belgian Chamber of Representatives

• Bart De Wever
• Els De Rammelaere
• Sarah Smeyers
• Flor Van Noppen
• Jan Jambon

Members in the Belgian Senate

• Louis Ide

Members in the Flemish Parliament

• Jan Peumans
• Mark Demesmaeker
• Jan Loones
• Helga Stevens
• Kris Van Dijck
• Geert Bourgeois

See also

• Christian Democratic and Flemish (CD&V)
• Vlaams Belang
• Ethnic nationalism

References

External links

• Nieuw-Vlaamse Alliantie website