List Dedecker
Encyclopedia
Libertarian, Direct, Democratic , abbreviated to LDD, is a libertarian
right-wing populist
political party
mainly within the Flemish
part of Belgium
. The party currently holds one seat in the European Parliament
, one seat in the Belgian Chamber of Representatives, and seven seats in the regional Flemish Parliament
.
The party was founded in January 2007 by Senator
Jean-Marie Dedecker
as List Dedecker also 'LDD'). Dedecker had left the New Flemish Alliance to found the LDD after the Cassandra think tank
judged in 2006 that there was room for a right-wing
conservative-liberal movement in the Flemish Community
, expressing the need for a "common sense party".
The party surprised commentators by winning five seats in the Chamber and one seat in the Senate
in 2007
, and eight seats in the 2009 Flemish Parliament election
. The party remained with only one federal seat after the 2010 election
. It adopted its current name on 22 January 2011.
The Eurosceptic LDD is a member of the Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists
, and its single MEP, Derk Jan Eppink
, sits with the ECR
group in the European Parliament
.
economics, neoliberalism
, a pro-business and free enterprise mindset, limited government, a flat tax
system, the reform of unemployment benefits and social security
schemes, the fight against waste and corruption, and the overall reduction of red tape, regulation and bureaucracy.
Furthermore, LDD stands for the introduction of a binding referendum
, the abolition of barriers for new political parties in Belgium and a tougher approach towards crime. The party also strives for a more independent Flanders
. LDD is widely considered to be liberal
on social issues, in spite of having a strong traditional conservative
wing as well.
At the European level, the party allied itself with moderate Eurosceptics
such as the British Conservative Party
, the Czech Civic Democrats and the Polish Law and Justice
, and sits on the European Conservatives and Reformists
group in the European Parliament
. LDD was initially expected to align themselves with the European Liberal, Democrat and Reform Party (ELDR) after an open invitation to this effect by ELDR chairwoman Annemie Neyts. Prior to joining the ECR group, LDD was also briefly courted by Declan Ganley
's pan-European movement Libertas
.
LDD opposes the cordon sanitaire that is used to keep the hard-right separatist Flemish Interest
from power, claiming that it is unsuccessful and undemocratic. Some critics even argue that the electoral success of LDD has hampered further growth of Vlaams Belang by virtue of attracting rightist or protest votes that otherwise would have gone to Flemish Interest.
At a given point in 2008, LDD was also looking for a political joint venture in Wallonia with liberal economist Rudy Aernoudt as their partner in this endeavour. In 2010, talks were undertaken with the People's Party
of Mischaël Modrikamen
, which Aernoudt had helped co-found, about political cooperation, but with no tangible result.
was the first ever election contested by Lijst Dedecker. They met the 5% threshold for parliamentary representation, in spite of all pre-election polls dismissing the chances for the party. Analyses in the aftermath of the election showing that Lijst Dedecker was able to attract voters from across the political spectrum and from all political parties, led up to vicious attacks and groundless accusations of populism
against the party. The party's scandal-loving style also added to this.
In the 2007 general election
, the party won 5 seats in the Chamber of Representatives and 1 seat in the Senate
. In the 2009 Flemish and European elections
, Lijst Dedecker won a disappointing 8 seats in the Flemish Parliament
and 1 seat in the European Parliament
despite pre-election polls that had indicated a bigger share of the votes for Lijst Dedecker. On June 25, one member of the LDD fraction crossed the floor to the Flemish Liberals and Democrats, leaving the LDD caucus with 7 remaining seats.
After the 2010 general election
, the party only returned one representative to the Chamber of Representatives.
Libertarianism
Libertarianism, in the strictest sense, is the political philosophy that holds individual liberty as the basic moral principle of society. In the broadest sense, it is any political philosophy which approximates this view...
right-wing populist
Right-wing populism
Right-wing populism is a political ideology that rejects existing political consensus and combines laissez-faire liberalism and anti-elitism. It is considered "right-wing" because of its rejection of social equality and government programs to achieve it, its opposition to social integration, and...
political party
Political 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...
mainly within the Flemish
Flemish
Flemish can refer to anything related to Flanders, and may refer directly to the following articles:*Flemish, an informal, though linguistically incorrect, name of any kind of the Dutch language as spoken in Belgium....
part of Belgium
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...
. The party currently holds one seat in the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
, one seat in the Belgian Chamber of Representatives, and seven seats in the regional Flemish Parliament
Flemish Parliament
The Flemish Parliament constitutes the legislative power in Flanders, for matters which fall within the competence of Flanders, both as a geographic region and a cultural community of Belgium The Flemish Parliament (Dutch: , and formerly called Flemish Council or Vlaamse Raad) constitutes the...
.
The party was founded in January 2007 by Senator
Belgian Senate
The Belgian Senate is one of the two chambers of the bicameral Federal Parliament of Belgium, the other being the Chamber of Representatives. It is considered to be the "upper house" of the Federal Parliament.-History and future:...
Jean-Marie Dedecker
Jean-Marie Dedecker
Jean-Marie Louis Dedecker is a Belgian Flemish politician.In 1999 and 2003, Dedecker was directly elected to the Belgian Senate. In 2004 Dedecker ran for a seat in the Flemish Parliament, after taking his seat in the Flemish Parliament, Dedecker was elected by his colleagues as a community senator...
as List Dedecker also 'LDD'). Dedecker had left the New Flemish Alliance to found the LDD after the Cassandra think tank
Think tank
A think tank is an organization that conducts research and engages in advocacy in areas such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, and technology issues. Most think tanks are non-profit organizations, which some countries such as the United States and Canada provide with tax...
judged in 2006 that there was room for a right-wing
Right-wing politics
In politics, Right, right-wing and rightist generally refer to support for a hierarchical society justified on the basis of an appeal to natural law or tradition. To varying degrees, the Right rejects the egalitarian objectives of left-wing politics, claiming that the imposition of equality is...
conservative-liberal movement in the Flemish Community
Flemish Community
The term Flemish Community has two distinct, though related, meanings:...
, expressing the need for a "common sense party".
The party surprised commentators by winning five seats in the Chamber and one seat in the Senate
Belgian Senate
The Belgian Senate is one of the two chambers of the bicameral Federal Parliament of Belgium, the other being the Chamber of Representatives. It is considered to be the "upper house" of the Federal Parliament.-History and future:...
in 2007
Belgian general election, 2007
The 2007 Belgian general election took place on Sunday 10 June 2007. Voters went to the polls in order to elect new members for the Chamber of Representatives and Senate.Eligible voters were Belgian citizens 18 years and older...
, and eight seats in the 2009 Flemish Parliament election
Belgian regional elections, 2009
Regional elections were held in Belgium on 7 June 2009 to choose representatives in the regional councils of Flanders, Wallonia, Brussels and the German-speaking Community of Belgium...
. The party remained with only one federal seat after the 2010 election
Belgian general election, 2010
General elections were held in Belgium on 13 June 2010. After the fall of the previous government over the withdrawal of Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats from the government the King dissolved the legislature and called new elections...
. It adopted its current name on 22 January 2011.
The Eurosceptic LDD is a member of the Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists
Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists
The Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists, abbreviated to AECR, is a centre-right anti-federalist European political party defending broader conservative and classical liberal principles. It consists of twelve parties in nine EU member states and Iceland...
, and its single MEP, Derk Jan Eppink
Derk Jan Eppink
Derk Jan Eppink is a Dutch journalist, politician in Belgium, and former cabinet secretary for European Commissioners Bolkestein and Kallas . In 2009, he was elected to the European Parliament for List Dedecker and sits on the European Conservatives and Reformists Group Executive.Eppink was...
, sits with the ECR
European Conservatives and Reformists
The European Conservatives and Reformists, abbreviated to ECR, is a conservative anti-federalist political group in the European Parliament. The group currently comprises 57 MEPs, making it the fourth-largest group in the European Parliament....
group in the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
.
Platform
The party's economic program is predominantly based on free marketFree market
A free market is a competitive market where prices are determined by supply and demand. However, the term is also commonly used for markets in which economic intervention and regulation by the state is limited to tax collection, and enforcement of private ownership and contracts...
economics, neoliberalism
Neoliberalism
Neoliberalism is a market-driven approach to economic and social policy based on neoclassical theories of economics that emphasizes the efficiency of private enterprise, liberalized trade and relatively open markets, and therefore seeks to maximize the role of the private sector in determining the...
, a pro-business and free enterprise mindset, limited government, a flat tax
Flat tax
A flat tax is a tax system with a constant marginal tax rate. Typically the term flat tax is applied in the context of an individual or corporate income that will be taxed at one marginal rate...
system, the reform of unemployment benefits and social security
Social security
Social security is primarily a social insurance program providing social protection or protection against socially recognized conditions, including poverty, old age, disability, unemployment and others. Social security may refer to:...
schemes, the fight against waste and corruption, and the overall reduction of red tape, regulation and bureaucracy.
Furthermore, LDD stands for the introduction of a binding referendum
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
, the abolition of barriers for new political parties in Belgium and a tougher approach towards crime. The party also strives for a more independent 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...
. LDD is widely considered to be liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
on social issues, in spite of having a strong traditional conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
wing as well.
At the European level, the party allied itself with moderate Eurosceptics
Euroscepticism
Euroscepticism is a general term used to describe criticism of the European Union , and opposition to the process of European integration, existing throughout the political spectrum. Traditionally, the main source of euroscepticism has been the notion that integration weakens the nation state...
such as the British Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
, the Czech Civic Democrats and the Polish Law and Justice
Law and Justice
Law and Justice , abbreviated to PiS, is a right-wing, conservative political party in Poland. With 147 seats in the Sejm and 38 in the Senate, it is the second-largest party in the Polish parliament....
, and sits on the European Conservatives and Reformists
European Conservatives and Reformists
The European Conservatives and Reformists, abbreviated to ECR, is a conservative anti-federalist political group in the European Parliament. The group currently comprises 57 MEPs, making it the fourth-largest group in the European Parliament....
group in the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
. LDD was initially expected to align themselves with the European Liberal, Democrat and Reform Party (ELDR) after an open invitation to this effect by ELDR chairwoman Annemie Neyts. Prior to joining the ECR group, LDD was also briefly courted by Declan Ganley
Declan Ganley
Declan James Ganley is a British-born Irish citizen, entrepreneur, businessman and political activist. He is founder and chairman of a political party, Libertas with pan-European ambitions...
's pan-European movement Libertas
Libertas.eu
Libertas is a political party founded by Declan Ganley that took part in the European Parliament election, 2009 in several member states of the European Union.-Preamble:...
.
LDD opposes the cordon sanitaire that is used to keep the hard-right separatist Flemish Interest
Vlaams Belang
Vlaams Belang is a Belgian far-right political party in the Flemish Region and Brussels that advocates the independence of Flanders and strict limits on immigration, whereby immigrants would be obliged to adopt Flemish culture and language...
from power, claiming that it is unsuccessful and undemocratic. Some critics even argue that the electoral success of LDD has hampered further growth of Vlaams Belang by virtue of attracting rightist or protest votes that otherwise would have gone to Flemish Interest.
At a given point in 2008, LDD was also looking for a political joint venture in Wallonia with liberal economist Rudy Aernoudt as their partner in this endeavour. In 2010, talks were undertaken with the People's Party
People's Party (Belgium)
The People's Party , abbreviated to PP, is a conservative liberal political party in Belgium. Primarily a French-speaking party, it considers itself to be to the right of the Mouvement Réformateur, Belgium's main centre-right French-speaking party....
of Mischaël Modrikamen
Mischaël Modrikamen
Mishaël Modrikamen is a Belgian lawyer and politician. He is the leader of the conservative liberal political party Parti Populaire.- Early life and career :...
, which Aernoudt had helped co-found, about political cooperation, but with no tangible result.
Elections
The 2007 general electionBelgian general election, 2007
The 2007 Belgian general election took place on Sunday 10 June 2007. Voters went to the polls in order to elect new members for the Chamber of Representatives and Senate.Eligible voters were Belgian citizens 18 years and older...
was the first ever election contested by Lijst Dedecker. They met the 5% threshold for parliamentary representation, in spite of all pre-election polls dismissing the chances for the party. Analyses in the aftermath of the election showing that Lijst Dedecker was able to attract voters from across the political spectrum and from all political parties, led up to vicious attacks and groundless accusations of populism
Populism
Populism can be defined as an ideology, political philosophy, or type of discourse. Generally, a common theme compares "the people" against "the elite", and urges social and political system changes. It can also be defined as a rhetorical style employed by members of various political or social...
against the party. The party's scandal-loving style also added to this.
In the 2007 general election
Belgian general election, 2007
The 2007 Belgian general election took place on Sunday 10 June 2007. Voters went to the polls in order to elect new members for the Chamber of Representatives and Senate.Eligible voters were Belgian citizens 18 years and older...
, the party won 5 seats in the Chamber of Representatives and 1 seat in the Senate
Belgian Senate
The Belgian Senate is one of the two chambers of the bicameral Federal Parliament of Belgium, the other being the Chamber of Representatives. It is considered to be the "upper house" of the Federal Parliament.-History and future:...
. In the 2009 Flemish and European elections
Belgian regional elections, 2009
Regional elections were held in Belgium on 7 June 2009 to choose representatives in the regional councils of Flanders, Wallonia, Brussels and the German-speaking Community of Belgium...
, Lijst Dedecker won a disappointing 8 seats in the Flemish Parliament
Flemish Parliament
The Flemish Parliament constitutes the legislative power in Flanders, for matters which fall within the competence of Flanders, both as a geographic region and a cultural community of Belgium The Flemish Parliament (Dutch: , and formerly called Flemish Council or Vlaamse Raad) constitutes the...
and 1 seat in the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
despite pre-election polls that had indicated a bigger share of the votes for Lijst Dedecker. On June 25, one member of the LDD fraction crossed the floor to the Flemish Liberals and Democrats, leaving the LDD caucus with 7 remaining seats.
After the 2010 general election
Belgian general election, 2010
General elections were held in Belgium on 13 June 2010. After the fall of the previous government over the withdrawal of Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats from the government the King dissolved the legislature and called new elections...
, the party only returned one representative to the Chamber of Representatives.
Chamber of representatives
- Jean-Marie DedeckerJean-Marie DedeckerJean-Marie Louis Dedecker is a Belgian Flemish politician.In 1999 and 2003, Dedecker was directly elected to the Belgian Senate. In 2004 Dedecker ran for a seat in the Flemish Parliament, after taking his seat in the Flemish Parliament, Dedecker was elected by his colleagues as a community senator...
, floor leader, representing the province of West Flanders
Flemish Parliament
- Lode Vereeck, floor leader, representing the province of LimbourgLimbourgLimbourg is a medieval town located in the province of Liège, Wallonia, Belgium.On 1 January 2008 Limbourg had a total population of 5,680. The total area is 24.63 km² which gives a population density of 231 inhabitants per km²...
- Jurgen VerstrepenJurgen VerstrepenJurgen Pierre Katharina Verstrepen is a radio and television presenter and member of the Flemish Parliament. He lives in Wilrijk.Previously a member of the Vlaams Belang, Verstrepen crossed the floor to List Dedecker in April 2007...
, representing the province of Antwerp - Ulla WerbrouckUlla WerbrouckUlla Werbrouck is a Belgian politician and former judoka.At the 1996 Summer Olympics, she won the gold medal in the women's half-heavyweight category. In January 2007, she joined the newly-established right-liberal List Dedecker party and in June 2007, she was elected member of the Belgian Chamber...
, representing the province of West Flanders - Ivan Sabbe, representing the province of West Flanders
- Boudewijn BouckaertBoudewijn BouckaertBoudewijn Bouckaert is a Belgian law professor, a member of the Flemish Movement, and a libertarian conservative thinker and politician. He chairs the academic board of the LIB-ERA! think tank and serves as Member of the Flemish Parliament for the liberal party List Dedecker...
, representing the province of East FlandersEast FlandersEast Flanders is a province of Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium. It borders on the Netherlands and in Belgium on the provinces of Antwerp, Flemish Brabant , of Hainaut and of West Flanders... - Patricia De Waele, representing the province of East FlandersEast FlandersEast Flanders is a province of Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium. It borders on the Netherlands and in Belgium on the provinces of Antwerp, Flemish Brabant , of Hainaut and of West Flanders...
- Peter Reekmans, representing the extraordinary constituency of LeuvenLeuvenLeuven is the capital of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region, Belgium...
European Parliament
- Derk Jan EppinkDerk Jan EppinkDerk Jan Eppink is a Dutch journalist, politician in Belgium, and former cabinet secretary for European Commissioners Bolkestein and Kallas . In 2009, he was elected to the European Parliament for List Dedecker and sits on the European Conservatives and Reformists Group Executive.Eppink was...
, representing the Flemish Electoral CollegeFlemish CommunityThe term Flemish Community has two distinct, though related, meanings:...
Chamber of Representatives
| Election year | # of total votes | % of vote | # of seats won | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 268,648 | 4.03% | 5 | |
| 2010 | 150,577 | 2.31% | 1 ( 04) | |
Senate
| Election year | # of total votes | % of vote | # of seats won | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 223,992 | 3.38% | 1 | |
| 2010 | 130,777 | 2.02% | 0 ( 01) | |
Flemish Parliament
| Election year | # of total votes | % of vote | # of seats won | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 313,176 | 7.62% | 8 | |
European Parliament
| Election year | # of total votes | % of vote | # of seats won | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 296,699 | 7.28% | 1 | |
See also
- Liberal Appeal, the right-wing liberal party of former VLD floor leader Ward BeysenWard BeysenEduard Marie August "Ward" Beysen was a Belgian politician and well-known freemason. He held a degree in Dutch and history teaching, obtained in 1963 in Lier and started his political career in the seventies in the Flemish liberal party, the Party for Freedom and Progress , which was renamed...
. - Nova CivitasNova CivitasNova Civitas was a Flemish think tank based on the principles of classic liberalism in combination with Anglo-Saxon conservatism. Nova Civitas claimed at its founding to be completely independent, although it was recognized and supported by the Flemish Liberal Party...
, the classical-liberal think tank of Boudewijn BouckaertBoudewijn BouckaertBoudewijn Bouckaert is a Belgian law professor, a member of the Flemish Movement, and a libertarian conservative thinker and politician. He chairs the academic board of the LIB-ERA! think tank and serves as Member of the Flemish Parliament for the liberal party List Dedecker...
. - Veilig Blauw, the right-wing liberal party of former VLD senator Leo Govaerts.
- Vlaamse Liberalen en Democraten, the social-liberal VLD party.
- VLOTTVLOTTVLOTT is a Belgian right-wing liberal or fortuynist political party. The acronym VLOTT stands for Flemish Liberal Independent Tolerant and Transparent . It was founded on November 23, 2005 by ex-Flemish Liberals and Democrats member Hugo Coveliers...
, the right-wing liberal party of former VLD senator Hugo CoveliersHugo CoveliersHugo F.V. Coveliers is a Belgian politician and lawyer. He was a member of the Belgian Chamber of People's Representatives between 1985 and 1995 and from 1993 to 2003. Since 2003 he has been a member of the Belgian Senate...
.