#belgian pol

[thoughtlessarse]

Officially sworn in: Belgium moves to the right as new PM De Wever sworn in

Conservative Bart De Wever was sworn in Monday as Belgium's new prime minister, after striking a hard-fought coalition deal that moves the c

Conservative Bart De Wever was sworn in Monday as Belgium's new prime minister, after striking a hard-fought coalition deal that moves the country to the right. Struck late Friday after seven months of tortuous negotiations, the agreement makes De Wever the first nationalist from Dutch-speaking Flanders to be named Belgian premier. A law-and-order candidate whose coalition has already promised to crack down on irregular migration, De Wever's rise to power reinforces a marked right-wing shift in European politics. The 54-year-old, who in recent years has backed off on calls for Flanders to become an independent country, took the oath of office before King Philippe, in a ceremony at the royal palace in Brussels. From there, he is to head straight to a gathering of EU leaders a few blocks away, for talks on defence and transatlantic relations.

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[thoughtlessarse]

Bardella in Brussels: 40 antifascist protestors arrested, Vlaams Belang HQ attacked

"Jordan Bardella's RN is a party like no other: it is a far-right party."

Police used water canons and arrested 40 protestors at a demonstration against the far-right French MEP Jordan Bardella on Wednesday evening. Bardella is leader of the far-right French party National Rally (RN) and was elected to the European Parliament in June. He was expected at the House of Hungary at 18:30 on Wednesday evening for a talk and a signing of his first book Ce que je cherche ('What I am looking for'). Almost 1,000 protestors led by the Anti-Fascist Coordination of Belgium (CAB), the Popular University of Brussels, the Ades Network and the Anti-Fascist Front of Liège gathered at the intersection of Avenue des Arts and Rue de la Loi from 18:00. "The extreme right kills," read the sign of one protester. At around 18:30, some demonstrators attempted to breach the police barrier, prompting officers to use batons, tear gas and water cannons on the crowd. Some protesters responded by setting off firecrackers and fireworks. Manuel Abramowic, an antifascist activist and editor of the online magazine Résistances, was at the demonstration. "Jordan Bardella's RN is a party like no other," he told The Brussels Times. "It is a far-right party. Bardella has received excellent media training to appear relatable to young voters, and people end up voting for RN without knowing it is the far-right as a result."

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It's telling that the French Bardella chose to go to Flanders and not Wallonia, despite French being spoken there. It's almost as if there aren't enough fascists in Wallonia. Furthermore, it's weird since traditionally the Flemish refuse to learn French and the Walloons refuse to learn Flemish (Dutch). Note the name of the Anti-Fascist Coordination of Belgium (CAB, Coordination Antifascist Belgique, presumably), and the magazine Résistances are both French, and a distinct lack of Flemish antifascists.