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DE RUEHBS #1795/01 3311701
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FM AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS
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INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BRUSSELS 001795 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE PASS EUR/WE KATE SHARP 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL BE
SUBJECT: A TALE OF TWO PARTIES: THE FIGHT FOR THE FLEMISH 
RIGHT 
 
REF: A. STATE 1772 
     ¶B. STATE 1787 
 
¶1. Summary:  Though the June 2009 elections are months away, 
they lurk in backs of the minds of most Flemish politicians. 
The center-right Flemish Liberal Party (Open VLD) is worried 
about recent controversies besetting its ministers, while the 
upstart center-right party Lijst Dedecker (LDD) anticipates 
drawing former Open VLD voters as well as moderate-right 
voters turned off by the nationalist rhetoric of Vlaams 
Belang.  The Open VLD has traditionally been one of the three 
largest Flemish parties, competing with the Flemish Catholic 
Party (CD & V) for centrist voters, but trying to espouse a 
more free market economic policy, reforms of the social 
system, and an open immigration policy that meets the needs 
of the Belgian economy.  Lijst Dedecker, headed by former 
Open VLD member Jean-Marie Dedecker, supports more radical 
economic policies, including a flat tax, increased autonomy 
for local regions to levy taxes, improvements to 
infrastructure, reduced public support of media, and stricter 
immigration policies and greater integration of immigrants. 
The key challenge for the LDD is to continue its recruitment 
of strong politicians and sell itself as a legitimate party 
with a platform rather than a collection of politicians and 
strong personalities under the charismatic Dedecker.  End 
Summary. 
 
Open VLD 
-------- 
 
¶2. An Open VLD party member recently confided to Poloff that 
his party could face serious challenges going into the June 
2009 local elections.  The party leadership is concerned that 
recent controversies surrounding alleged preferential hiring 
for sexual favors in the Interior Ministry headed by Open 
VLDer Patrick De Wael and Foreign Minister De Gucht, whose 
wife sold a large number of Fortis shares just before the 
stock tumbled (ref A), could tarnish the party's reputation. 
Open VLD has also taken note of polls showing the LDD's 
steady rise in popularity with Flemish voters (10.3 percent 
of Flemish voter support in June, and 15.4 percent in 
September) while Open VLD support has remained relatively 
stable (17.4 percent to 18.4 percent).  The party will 
continue to espouse its center-right positions on tax 
reduction, a balanced budget, fighting poverty, empowering 
business, labor market flexibility, open immigration policy 
focused on addressing labor shortages and key industries. 
 
Lijst Dedecker 
-------------- 
 
¶3. LDD Spokesperson, Deputy Party Chairman, and Flemish MP 
Jurgen Verstrepen recently expressed confidence in his 
party's June prospects.  Calling rival Open VLD a 
center-center party, Verstrepen said that the LDD could 
position itself as a more effective voice for true 
center-right voters and those disaffected by the rabidly 
nationalist parties on the far right.  The LDD intends to 
draw support from both the Open VLD from which many of its 
candidates come, as well as the rightist, Flemish Nationalist 
Vlaams Belang (VB).  Verstrepen, a former outspoken radio 
personality who left radio to join the far right VB after 
being censored three times for "politically incorrect" 
controversial programming.  He later left the VB for its 
extreme views and inflexibility, which turned off reasonable 
and moderate-right wing voters.  He hopes to help the party 
draw many of those disaffected by the racist reputation of 
the VB but want to cast a vote for a true center-right party. 
 
 
¶4. When asked whether his party was simply a grouping of 
politicians or actually stood for something, Verstrepen said 
the party had adopted a platform that supports more 
radical-liberal economic policies, including a flat tax, 
giving local and regional governments taxation authority, 
improving infrastructure, reducing public support for media, 
and reforming immigration policy while better integrating 
immigrants.  Recent press reports have highlighted the LDD's 
continued success at attracting lawmakers from other parties, 
with three local politicians defecting from the Open VLD to 
LDD this week.  Overall, the LDD currently has one national 
senator and five MPs, elected in 2007.  LDD claims 103 
regional and local elected officials, all of whom where 
defectors from other parties, mostly from Open VLD and VB 
ranks (Note:  LDD did not exist at the time of the last local 
election in 2004.  End Note). 
 
Conclusion 
----------Q 
 
 
BRUSSELS 00001795  002 OF 002 
 
 
¶5. The June 2009 elections are the major electoral event for 
Flemish parties in 2009.  Many political careers are begun at 
the regional level.  The Flemish government also co-chairs 
the ongoing negotiations with the Francophone parties on 
regional - national government reform, making these coming 
elections even more important to the Flemish voter.  In this 
environment, the upstart LDD could do very well if it is able 
to draw voters who previously voted for the radical Vlaams 
Belang and paint the more traditional center-right Open VLD 
as a party that has moved too far to the center.  The 
challenge for the LDD is to sell itself as an actual party, 
rather than a collection of opportunistic pols under the 
banner of the charismatic Mr. Dedecker.  In a September poll 
on the popularity of Flemish politicians, Mr. Dedecker was 
the only politician named as outstanding by intending LDD 
voters; they then named leaders from other parties.  In the 
six months leading up to the June elections, the LDD will try 
to solidify its support, while the Open VLD will try to move 
the popular discussion beyond its current controversies.  In 
June we will know which party has done the best job at 
selling itself to the center-right Flemish electorate. 
.