Chris Janssens (politician)
Chris Janssens | |
|---|---|
 Janssens in 2020 | |
| Member of the Flemish Parliament | |
| Assumed office 2009 | |
| Chairman of Vlaams Belang in the Flemish Parliament | |
| Assumed office 2014 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Chris Janssens 8 November 1977 Genk, Belgium |
| Political party | Vlaams Belang |
Chris Janssens (born 8 November 1977 in Genk) is a Flemish politician for Vlaams Belang, a member of the Flemish Parliament and the current chairman of the VB's faction in the Flemish Parliament. He is also the spokesman for the party in the Flemish region.
Biography
Political career
Janssens worked as a
Politically, Janssens has been described as part of the more moderate salonfähige wing of the party which supports moderation to end the cordon placed on the VB by other Belgian parties. He has also claimed to have rejected offers to defect to the
In November 2020, Janssens received death threats on social media for calling for an end to Turkish funding of mosques in Belgium. At the same time, fellow Genk based Flemish politician and New Flemish Alliance member Zuhal Demir also received threats via email for making similar statements. Janssens subsequently filed a complaint with the police.[5]
Personal life
Janssens came out as gay in a 2021 interview with Het Belang van Limburg making him the first openly gay representative of the Vlaams Belang party. He acknowledged that members of the party had historically made anti-LGBT statements but denied the VB was homophobic and has since evolved on LGBT rights. VB leader Tom Van Grieken wrote in support of Janssens.[6]
References
- ^ "Maak kennis met Chris Janssens, het nieuwe boegbeeld van Vlaams Belang: "Het zeventigpuntenplan was geen fout plan. De insteek was goed."". De Zondag. Retrieved 2021-01-01.
- ^ Parliament, Flemish. "Chris Janssens (Vlaams Belang)". www.vlaamsparlement.be.
- ^ "Het Belang van Limburg". Het Belang van Limburg.
- ^ "Maak kennis met Chris Janssens, het nieuwe boegbeeld van Vlaams Belang: "Het zeventigpuntenplan was geen fout plan. De insteek was goed."". De Zondag. Retrieved 2021-01-01.
- ^ "Ook Chris Janssens van Vlaams Belang met dood bedreigd, parket onderzoekt de zaak". vrt.be. 20 November 2020. Retrieved 2021-01-01.
- ^ VRT NWS (2021-12-18). "Vlaams Belang-ondervoorzitter Chris Janssens out zich als homo: "Heb mijn geaardheid lang bewust genegeerd"". vrtnws.be (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 2022-09-26. Retrieved 2022-09-26.