Election results in Belgium

[KinKyJ]

Cool, a few days after we had regional and European elections in Belgium, MS opens a politics forum. Use & abuse!

Imho, these were the most negative elections of the past few decades. It was actually the first time I hesitated to vote for the liberal party like I do usually.

Ok, the liberals fucked up big time with the voting right for foreigners, but that was a federal matter, not regional nor European. It's kinda shallow to focus only on that and forget what has happened on the regional level in the mean time. I think Bart Somers for one did an excellent job!

Anywayz, the christan democrats won't have any other option than to team up with the purple coalition since the green party want's to stay in the opposition. Chairman Leterme daid today that he doesn't exclude the Vlaams Blok from the negotiation rounds, but I think that will cost him a lot of votes during the next election. Extreme right became the largest party thanks to a large number of protest votes, not out of ideological reasons.

Anywayz, I think the following years will provide a nice soap opera: Verhofstadt vs Leterme vs Di Rupo vs Vlaams Blok, fun fun fun

[brakada]

We had only the european elections in Slovenia. our first actually and only about 35% of the voters attended them. Although the opposition (right and central right parties) beat the liberals it was still kind of a balanced result. We only get 7 seats in the parliament, so noone really cares.

[Gloomy]

yeah results of the regional elections were a disaster. I don't get it: it's good living here and so many people are voting for an extreme right party. But many people are thinking wrong: from the moment there's something going on that they dislike, they vote extreme right.

About the new flemish government: I can't predict what the outcome will be. On the last TV interviews, seems like Leterme wasn't that sure anymore not to work together with Vlaams Blok. Anyway, that could cost him a lot the next elections. But working with pink will be difficult as well. I have some sort of feeling that we won't have to wait 2 years untill the next municipal elections. Indeed, coming years will be really a soap cause Leterme hasn't the required experience they cope with situations like this.

I'm a liberal all the way and that won't change for now. Maybe I will think different after a few year working. But on the other side, if the liberals don't lower job taxes, no party will do.

[Troggers]

The "cordon sanitaire" simply has to go. I think we can no longer deny Vlaams Blok a chance to govern for once. I think either SPA or VLD should refuse to form a coalition with the CD&V. It's time to let them redirect all their negativism into constructing a better Flanders. The failure of such a government should educate the voters on the fact that it isn't in their best interest to vote for a party without any decent policy. It'll probably hurt Belgium over a short time period but should be considered the better option in the long run, IMO.
Also, I don't get where people like Leterme get the idea to compare Flanders to Botswana. We live in the most well faring region in the world. That analogy kind of puzzles me.

[Gloomy]

I think either SPA or VLD should refuse to form a coalition with the CD&V

I hear Leterme saying already: "VLD/SPA are doing on anti-politics". I think that would be a mistake. It's better to disappoint the 'Vlaams Blok' voter by keeping the cordon sanitaire. Next time, I believe they won't vote extreme right anymore cause they know it has no sense: no party wants to form a coalition with them. The effect of the cordon sanitaire has been stronger than ever now.

On the other side ... a government with CD&V and Vlaams Blok could prove that a pink government isn't that bad after all like a lot of Vlaams Blok voters think. Leterme + Bourgois + Dewinter ... this would end up in a big fight and re-elections. But VLD or SPA could be blamed for the fact the Vlaams Blok was part of the government ...

Very interesting coming weeks

[Troggers]

If anything goes wrong, the voters that voted for CD&V en Vlaams Blok will only have themselves to thank for it. Basic premise for democracy.

[KinKyJ]

Yes! Karel De Gucht is chairman of the VLD again!

Not that he's my hero or anything, but the moment he got set aside by Verhofstadt marked the start of the ride downhill for the VLD.

I love that guy in debates: to the point, very direct and he's the only politician that can shut up anyone with a single one-liner. Respect!And as for his Porsche Cayenne: what's wrong with a man spending his self-earned money on a car he likes? I sure wouldn't want to work his hours...

As for CD&V: Leterme announced that he will talk to the Vlaams Blok out of respect for their voters, but he excludes the possibility of a coalition. It's gonna be a long game of poker imho. Yes CD&V/NVA is the largest formation, but the pink coalition still has 10% more votes... My only hope is that the next 4 years will be constructive and not full of negativism like the past year :?

[Gloomy]

yep I'm also glad seeing De Gucht as the VLD chairman again. Sterkx didn't do a bad job, but he always seemed to be a little bit unsure. De Gucht always knows what he's talking about and yes, he can shut up anyone. I really hope that from now on, VLD is back on track to regain all the lost votes for the next elections. And I think one of the first things De Gucht will do, is to put that big fat pork out of the party: Hugo Coveliers. In a recent interview, De Gucht called him "irrelevant" for the VLD.

Oh and ... there's a chance I'm joing the 'Jong VLD' next year. Gloomy goes politics :wink:

[KinKyJ]

Oh and ... there's a chance I'm joing the 'Jong VLD' next year. Gloomy goes politics :wink:

You've got my vote :wink:

MEER CHAMPAGNE, MINDER SLUITINGSUUR!!!

[Troggers]

Too bad I'm a socialist pur sang. Won't be able to vote for you.

[Yao]

From Neighbouring Holland: Quite astonished over here to hear that VB won the regional elections! Are people unhappy because of the politicians fucking up or because of the economy which they say isn't growing enough? Over here I hear people complaining all day about the latter, but it makes me think: we've got it all, what the fuck are we whining about?

Been in Ghana for 2 months last year, not really long actually, but it made me realise people can be really happy with less...I've never been as happy as there, living off my backpack.
I was also probably one of the first European (wannabe) dj's to be played on the radio there

Anywayz, we had the same shit over here with the 'leefbaar' parties, offspring from Pim Fortuijn's LPF. Those are fucking up big time over here, and people are getting really confused about the political future now.

[Gloomy]

I really don't know why so many people here have voted extreme right here. Personally, I think it's good living here when it comes to luxury, needs, whatever that makes live easy ... but it seems like a lot of belgians are frustrated for one or another reason, esp. older generations. I feel they are afraid that newer generations will destroy all the good things 'they achieved'.

It's also a fact that a lot of people here are quite narrow minded, maybe it has something to do wil this as well.

[Troggers]

I guess it's just about conservation of acquired wealth or something. People must feel threatened. Don't hold me to that though. I'm by no means a sociologist.

[lmmadic]

Yes! Karel De Gucht is chairman of the VLD again!

Not that he's my hero or anything, but the moment he got set aside by Verhofstadt marked the start of the ride downhill for the VLD.

I love that guy in debates: to the point, very direct and he's the only politician that can shut up anyone with a single one-liner. Respect!And as for his Porsche Cayenne: what's wrong with a man spending his self-earned money on a car he likes? I sure wouldn't want to work his hours...

As for CD&V: Leterme announced that he will talk to the Vlaams Blok out of respect for their voters, but he excludes the possibility of a coalition. It's gonna be a long game of poker imho. Yes CD&V/NVA is the largest formation, but the pink coalition still has 10% more votes... My only hope is that the next 4 years will be constructive and not full of negativism like the past year :?

actually dewinter is the king of one-liners imo.
i'm actually a liberal for all my live, but they really fucked up with all the childish argueing in the months before the elections. it took the attention off all the good things they have accomplished already.
i didn't vote blue this time tho. i've voted for the greens. not that i'm a treehugger or anything but i think it was important that the greens got past the voting barrier. Because if they didn't the only protest-vote left would have been VB.
i did vote blue for the european parlement because i don't think it is that important to have the greens in that one too compared to the flemich elections.

ow and Kinkyj nice to have you back man

[Jenks]

Re: Election results in Belgium

I agree.