Since the federal elections in May, Belgium s nationalist Vlaams Belang (Flemish Interest) party, led by Tom Van Grieken, has increased its support by more than 10 per cent. The party rejects immigration and believes that it is the multicultural society that causes the country s main problems. If the elections were held this weekend, the VB would win a whopping 27.3 per cent in Flanders, while liberals, coalition partners in the executive government, could expect less than 10 per cent of the votes, according to a recent poll.

While Belgium is still governed by a liberal executive government formed by the coalition alliance of Walloon and Flemish liberal parties, it turned out that only 9.9 per cent of Flemish voters support Guy Verhofstadt s Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats (Open-VLD), led by Gwendolyn Rutten. At the same time, Flemish parties pursuing anti-immigration policies may show significant strength, in fact, the Flemish nationalist Vlaams Belang (VB) party, considered far-right, has taken over the leadership of the more moderate New Flemish Alliance (N-VA). N-VA used to be in a coalition with the current governing parties, however, it turned their back on the liberals, when the cabinet of former PM Charles Michel adopted the UN Migration Pact.

If the elections were held in Flanders this weekend, the VB would have a 10 per cent better result than in the May elections. The nationalist party led by Tom Van Grieken could expect 27.3 per cent of the votes, 5 per cent ahead of the 22.1 per cent New Flemish Alliance, according to a representative survey conducted between 29 November and 6 December, commissioned by Het Laatste Nieuws, VTM Nieuws, RTL and Le Soir.

However, despite the success in Flanders, which accounts for 55% of the Belgian population, as a result of the country s electoral system and the „cordon sannitaire”, the opposition coalition to exclude anti-immigrationists, the VB can not get close to the government position, as in the Wallonia, hosting 33% of the population, and Brussels area it is still the Socialist Party (PS) and the Walloon Reformist Movement (MR), showing decline in support but providing the executive head of government, leading. However, in the capital region, home to 10 per cent of the Belgians, the VB tripled its 1.9 per cent result in the May elections.