Flemish Interest

Vlaams Belang ( Dutch pronunciation: [ˈvlaːms bəˈlɑŋ] ; lit. 'Flemish Interest'; VB) is a Flemish nationalist and Eurosceptic right-wing to far-right political party in the Flemish Region and Brussels Capital Region of Belgium. It is widely considered by the media and political analysts to be on the political far-right, although it has self-described as right-nationalist and more recently as conservative and centre-right and has tried to distance itself from the far-right label in recent years.

Vlaams Belang is a rebrand of Vlaams Blok, which was dissolved after it was condemned for espousing racism during a trial which was held in 2004. After it reorganized itself as Vlaams Belang, it continued to espouse the core philosophy of its predecessor by campaigning on a separatist and Flemish nationalist platform. It also supports the maintenance of Flemish cultural identity, it opposes multiculturalism, and it advocates the imposition of tougher law & order policies. However, the VB toned its rhetoric down and it also implemented some changes in the more controversial portions of the former Vlaams Blok statute and has sought to change its image from a radical to a more conservative party by distancing itself from some of its former programs. Nonetheless, most other parties initially continued the cordon sanitaire which was implemented against the former party, effectively blocking the Vlaams Belang from taking part in government at any level. Additionally, attempts on cutting public subsidies specifically for the party were made through the Belgian draining law.