Frontpartij
Encyclopedia
The Frontpartij was a Belgian
political party that campaigned for increasing recognition for the Flemish people
and their language. Originating from the earlier Frontbeweging, the Frontpartij was an early attempt to fully politicise the Flemish Movement
. In contrast to some of its successor movements the party supported democracy
and autonomy
rather than authoritarianism
and independence
.
during the First World War who resented the fact that French
was the only language of command. Taking the slogan "All for Flanders - Flanders for Christ" they attempted to organise within the army in support of equal language rights. Whilst the group was not anti-Belgian it panicked the generals who suppressed it.
By the summer of 1917 the group had re-emerged in secret and, organised by Corporal Adiel de Beuckelaere, this new version, known as the Frontbeweging, set up a structure of representatives and committees across the army. With de Beuckelaere, a Ghent
schoolteacher, and other leaders such as Joris Van Severen
coming from an intellectual background they attempted to articulate their demands by sending a letter to King Albert
calling for a separate Flemish Army and self-government for Flanders
within Belgium. However the response of high command was to repress the Frontbeweging more forcefully than before.
The sudden collapse of the German Imperial Army in mid 1918 meant that the Belgian army experienced rapid advancement, leading to confusion and a lack of communication between Frontbeweging members. However whilst the group's aims had not been met it reconstituted after the Armistice under the name Vlaamsche Front.
, adopting the name Frontpartij and continuing its campaigns for army segregation and internal self-government, as well as adding policies such as Flemish language teaching in schools and Ghent University
. The party had a strong Roman Catholic
identity and, whilst most of its leaders were from the urban areas of Ghent
and Louvain
, it developed a strong following amongst small farmers, many of whom resented the Francophone
large landowners. Its ideology
was vague although generally identified as left-wing and within its ranks adherents of both socialism
and communism
were to be found.
saw the Frontpartij with five members elected to the Belgian Chamber of Representatives, including a young Staf De Clercq
. Support had in part been gained as a reaction to what was seen as the harsh treatment meted out to those Flemings that had collaborated with Germany
, with the sentence of death passed on Auguste Borms (albeit not carried out) and numerous life sentences for lesser collaborators attracting condemnation in Flanders.
The party's vote fell in the 1921 election
although it was here that Van Severen was first elected to Parliament. The loss of support proved to be a temporary set-back however as they took 25,000 votes and six seats in 1925
before following this with 132,000 votes and 11 seats in 1929
. In between Auguste Broms had even been elected to Parliament for the party in a 1928 by-election.
and admirer of Benito Mussolini
, he set up his own journal, Jong Dietschland which argued for the establishment of an independent 'Greater Netherlands' in which Dutch people
, Flemings, Frisians
and Luxembourgers
would unite in this "Dietsch" state. The plan won support amongst the students of Ghent but the war veterans that made up much of the membership of the Frontpartij were unimpressed and the party organ De Schelde specifically condemned fascism
. The result of this clash was a split in the Frontpartij with the foundation of Verdinaso
in October 1931 as a far right
group supporting the Dietsch option.
The Frontpartij lost a lot of support and three seats in the 1932
election and following this failure and the emergence of Verdinaso the remaining right wingers within the Frontpartij came to exercise more influence. Under the leadership of Staf de Clerq the party lurched to the right and in 1933 the party was discontinued altogether when de Clerq formed the Flemish National Union
(VNV), an authoritarian rightist party. VNV absrobed the Frontpartij entirely as well as a number of smaller nationalist movements and emerged as the leading voice of Flemish nationalism in the 1930s.
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...
political party that campaigned for increasing recognition for the Flemish people
Flemish people
The Flemings or Flemish are the Dutch-speaking inhabitants of Belgium, where they are mostly found in the northern region of Flanders. They are one of two principal cultural-linguistic groups in Belgium, the other being the French-speaking Walloons...
and their language. Originating from the earlier Frontbeweging, the Frontpartij was an early attempt to fully politicise the Flemish Movement
Flemish movement
The Flemish Movement is a popular term used to describe the political movement for emancipation and greater autonomy of the Belgian region of Flanders, for protection of the Dutch language, and for the over-all protection of Flemish culture and history....
. In contrast to some of its successor movements the party supported democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
and autonomy
Autonomy
Autonomy is a concept found in moral, political and bioethical philosophy. Within these contexts, it is the capacity of a rational individual to make an informed, un-coerced decision...
rather than authoritarianism
Authoritarianism
Authoritarianism is a form of social organization characterized by submission to authority. It is usually opposed to individualism and democracy...
and independence
Independence
Independence is a condition of a nation, country, or state in which its residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory....
.
Origins
The group had its origins amongst Flemish language-speaking soldiers in the Belgian ArmyBelgian Army
The Land Component is organised using the concept of capacities, whereby units are gathered together according to their function and material. Within this framework, there are five capacities: the command capacity, the combat capacity, the support capacity, the services capacity and the training...
during the First World War who resented the fact that French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
was the only language of command. Taking the slogan "All for Flanders - Flanders for Christ" they attempted to organise within the army in support of equal language rights. Whilst the group was not anti-Belgian it panicked the generals who suppressed it.
By the summer of 1917 the group had re-emerged in secret and, organised by Corporal Adiel de Beuckelaere, this new version, known as the Frontbeweging, set up a structure of representatives and committees across the army. With de Beuckelaere, a Ghent
Ghent
Ghent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...
schoolteacher, and other leaders such as Joris Van Severen
Joris Van Severen
Joris Van Severen was a Belgian nationalist politician, ideologist and leader of the national-solidarist Verdinaso.-Early years:...
coming from an intellectual background they attempted to articulate their demands by sending a letter to King Albert
Albert I of Belgium
Albert I reigned as King of the Belgians from 1909 until 1934.-Early life:Born Albert Léopold Clément Marie Meinrad in Brussels, he was the fifth child and second son of Prince Philippe, Count of Flanders, and his wife, Princess Marie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen...
calling for a separate Flemish Army and self-government for Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
within Belgium. However the response of high command was to repress the Frontbeweging more forcefully than before.
The sudden collapse of the German Imperial Army in mid 1918 meant that the Belgian army experienced rapid advancement, leading to confusion and a lack of communication between Frontbeweging members. However whilst the group's aims had not been met it reconstituted after the Armistice under the name Vlaamsche Front.
Political party
The movement was soon formalised as a political partyPolitical 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...
, adopting the name Frontpartij and continuing its campaigns for army segregation and internal self-government, as well as adding policies such as Flemish language teaching in schools and Ghent University
Ghent University
Ghent University is a Dutch-speaking public university located in Ghent, Belgium. It is one of the larger Flemish universities, consisting of 32,000 students and 7,100 staff members. The current rector is Paul Van Cauwenberge.It was established in 1817 by King William I of the Netherlands...
. The party had a strong Roman Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
identity and, whilst most of its leaders were from the urban areas of Ghent
Ghent
Ghent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...
and Louvain
Leuven
Leuven is the capital of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region, Belgium...
, it developed a strong following amongst small farmers, many of whom resented the Francophone
Francophone
The adjective francophone means French-speaking, typically as primary language, whether referring to individuals, groups, or places. Often, the word is used as a noun to describe a natively French-speaking person....
large landowners. Its ideology
Ideology
An ideology is a set of ideas that constitutes one's goals, expectations, and actions. An ideology can be thought of as a comprehensive vision, as a way of looking at things , as in common sense and several philosophical tendencies , or a set of ideas proposed by the dominant class of a society to...
was vague although generally identified as left-wing and within its ranks adherents of both socialism
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
and communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
were to be found.
Growth
The 6.3% of the vote captured in the 1919 electionBelgian general election, 1919
General elections were held in Belgium on 16 November 1919. Although the Belgian Labour Party received the most votes in the Chamber of Representatives elections, the Catholic Party remained the largest party in both the Chamber and the Senate. Voter turnout was 88.5% in the Chamber...
saw the Frontpartij with five members elected to the Belgian Chamber of Representatives, including a young Staf De Clercq
Staf De Clercq
Staf De Clercq was a Flemish nationalist collaborator, co-founder and leader of the Flemish nationalist Vlaamsch Nationaal Verbond .-Biography:...
. Support had in part been gained as a reaction to what was seen as the harsh treatment meted out to those Flemings that had collaborated with Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, with the sentence of death passed on Auguste Borms (albeit not carried out) and numerous life sentences for lesser collaborators attracting condemnation in Flanders.
The party's vote fell in the 1921 election
Belgian general election, 1921
General elections were held in Belgium on 20 November 1921. The result was a victory for the Catholic Party, which won 76 of the 186 seats in the Chamber of Representatives. Voter turnout was 91.1% in the Chamber election and 91.0% in the Senate election....
although it was here that Van Severen was first elected to Parliament. The loss of support proved to be a temporary set-back however as they took 25,000 votes and six seats in 1925
Belgian general election, 1925
General elections were held in Belgium on 5 April 1925. The result was a victory for the Belgian Labour Party, which won 78 of the 187 seats in the Chamber of Representatives. Voter turnout was 92.8% in the Chamber election and 92.7% in the Senate election....
before following this with 132,000 votes and 11 seats in 1929
Belgian general election, 1929
General elections were held in Belgium on 26 May 1929. The result was a victory for the Catholic Party, which won 71 of the 187 seats in the Chamber of Representatives. Voter turnout was 94.0%.-Chamber of Deputies:-Senate:...
. In between Auguste Broms had even been elected to Parliament for the party in a 1928 by-election.
Splits and refoundation
Van Severen lost his seat in the latter election however and, removed from the centre of the party and having become a disciple of Charles MaurrasCharles Maurras
Charles-Marie-Photius Maurras was a French author, poet, and critic. He was a leader and principal thinker of Action Française, a political movement that was monarchist, anti-parliamentarist, and counter-revolutionary. Maurras' ideas greatly influenced National Catholicism and "nationalisme...
and admirer of Benito Mussolini
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
, he set up his own journal, Jong Dietschland which argued for the establishment of an independent 'Greater Netherlands' in which Dutch people
Dutch people
The Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United...
, Flemings, Frisians
Frisians
The Frisians are a Germanic ethnic group native to the coastal parts of the Netherlands and Germany. They are concentrated in the Dutch provinces of Friesland and Groningen and, in Germany, East Frisia and North Frisia, that was a part of Denmark until 1864. They inhabit an area known as Frisia...
and Luxembourgers
Luxembourgers
Luxembourgers are an ethnic group native to Luxembourg sharing Luxembourgian culture and being of Luxembourgian descent.-Location:Most ethnic Luxembourgers live in the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg, a small country located in Europe between Germany, France and Belgium and are a mixture of Latin and...
would unite in this "Dietsch" state. The plan won support amongst the students of Ghent but the war veterans that made up much of the membership of the Frontpartij were unimpressed and the party organ De Schelde specifically condemned fascism
Fascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
. The result of this clash was a split in the Frontpartij with the foundation of Verdinaso
Verdinaso
The Verdinaso was an authoritarian and fascist-inspired political party in Belgium and the Netherlands during the 1930s...
in October 1931 as a far right
Far right
Far-right, extreme right, hard right, radical right, and ultra-right are terms used to discuss the qualitative or quantitative position a group or person occupies within right-wing politics. Far-right politics may involve anti-immigration and anti-integration stances towards groups that are...
group supporting the Dietsch option.
The Frontpartij lost a lot of support and three seats in the 1932
Belgian general election, 1932
General elections were held in Belgium on 27 November 1932. The result was a victory for the Catholic Party, which won 79 of the 187 seats in the Chamber of Representatives. Voter turnout was 94.3%.-Chamber of Deputies:-Senate:...
election and following this failure and the emergence of Verdinaso the remaining right wingers within the Frontpartij came to exercise more influence. Under the leadership of Staf de Clerq the party lurched to the right and in 1933 the party was discontinued altogether when de Clerq formed the Flemish National Union
Flemish National Union
The Flemish National Union was a Nationalist Flemish political party in Belgium, founded by Staf de Clercq on October 8, 1933. De Clercq became known as den Leider .-Creation:...
(VNV), an authoritarian rightist party. VNV absrobed the Frontpartij entirely as well as a number of smaller nationalist movements and emerged as the leading voice of Flemish nationalism in the 1930s.