Vooruit (political party)
Forward Vooruit | |
---|---|
Socialist Party | |
Colours | Red |
Chamber of Representatives | 9 / 87 (Flemish seats) |
Senate | 4 / 35 (Flemish seats) |
Flemish Parliament | 13 / 124 |
Brussels Parliament | 3 / 17 (Flemish seats) |
European Parliament | 1 / 12 (Flemish seats) |
Flemish Provincial Councils | 18 / 175 |
Website | |
vooruit | |
Formerly Socialist Party Socialistische Partij (1978–2001) Socialist Party Differently Socialistische Partij Anders (2001–2021) |
Vooruit (Dutch for Onward, pronounced [voːrˈœyt] ⓘ) is a Flemish social democratic political party in Belgium.[5][6][7][8] It was known as the (Flemish) Socialist Party[9][10][11] (1978–2001: Socialistische Partij, SP; 2001–2021: Socialistische Partij Anders,[a] SP.A) until 21 March 2021, when its current name was adopted.[12]
The party was founded following the linguistic split of the unitary Belgian Socialist Party in 1978, which also produced the Francophone Socialist Party. The Belgian Socialist Party itself consisted of former members of the Belgian Labour Party. From December 2011 to September 2014, the party was part of the Di Rupo Government, along with its Francophone counterpart. In 2020, it re-entered federal government as part of the De Croo Government. The party has been a part of the Flemish Government several times.
History
1885–1940
1940–1978
Since 1978
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The party was the big winner in the 2003 election, running on the
In 2004, the SP.A along with its partner Spirit lost the elections for the Flemish Parliament. Although they won more seats in comparison to the Flemish elections of 1999, their percentage of the vote compared to the successful 2003 federal elections was considerably down. The reputation of then party leader Steve Stevaert took a beating too.
The party was briefly led by
As of May 2009, SP.A was in opposition in federal politics. Unlike its Francophone counterpart, the
In January 2009, the party had apparently changed its name to Socialists and Progressive Differently (Dutch: Socialisten en Progressieven Anders). This name change was retracted and the party baseline was changed from Social Progressive Alternative (Dutch: Sociaal Progressief Alternatief) to Socialists and Progressive Differently (Dutch: Socialisten en Progressieven Anders).[14]
In the 2010 federal election, SP.A won 13 seats with 9% of the overall vote. The party was a member of the Di Rupo Government formed on 6 December 2011, until the elections in 2014. In the elections for the Chamber of Representatives on 25 May 2014, SP.A scored again 9% and received 13 seats, in contrast to their francophone Socialist Party counterparts, who lost 3 seats and whose share of the vote decreased by 2%. In the Flemish Parliament, SP.A have 18 representatives, deriving from around 14% of the vote—this is a small reduction on the 2009 parliament, where SP.A had 19 seats, deriving from 15% of the popular vote. From 2009–2014, SP.A participated in the Flemish Government, in an uneasy coalition with the CD & V and the N-VA. From 2014 onwards, SP.A formed part of the opposition in Flanders, as the regional government reflected the Flemish component of the federal administration, consisting of coalition of the Open-VLD, CD & V and the N-VA.
In January 2018, the party advocated for a "new socialism" and a "new equality".[15][16] In September 2020, party leader Conner Rousseau announced a renaming of the party to Vooruit ("Forward").[17] The new name was made official on 21 March 2021.
Presidents
Presidents of the SP[18] | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Period | President | ||||||||
1978–1989 | Karel Van Miert | ||||||||
1989–1994 | Frank Vandenbroucke | ||||||||
1994–1998 | Louis Tobback | ||||||||
1998–1999 | Fred Erdman | ||||||||
1999–2001 | Patrick Janssens |
Presidents of Forward[18] | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Period | President | Vice-President | |||||||
2001–2003 | Patrick Janssens | ||||||||
2003–2005 | Steve Stevaert | Caroline Gennez | |||||||
2005 | Caroline Gennez (ad interim) | N/A | |||||||
2005–2007 | Johan Vande Lanotte | Caroline Gennez | |||||||
2007–2011 | Caroline Gennez | Dirk Van der Maelen | |||||||
2011–2015 | Bruno Tobback | Joke Quintens | |||||||
2015–2019 | John Crombez | Stephanie Van Houtven | |||||||
2019–2023 | Conner Rousseau | Funda Oru | |||||||
2023–present | Melissa Depraetere (ad interim) | Funda Oru |
Members holding notable public offices
European politics
European Parliament | |
---|---|
Name | Committees |
Kathleen Van Brempt | International Trade |
Federal politics
Chamber of Representatives
| |||
---|---|---|---|
Name | Notes | Name | Notes |
Melissa Depraetere | Faction leader | Vicky Reynaert | |
Jan Bertels | Ben Segers | ||
Bert Moyaers | Kris Verduyckt | ||
Anja Vanrobaeys | Joris Vandenbroucke | ||
Karine Jiroflée |
Senate
| ||
---|---|---|
Type | Name | Notes |
Co-opted Senator | Bert Anciaux | Faction leader |
Community Senator | Kurt De Loor | |
Community Senator | Katia Segers | |
Community Senator | Annick Lambrecht |
Belgian Federal De Croo Government | ||
---|---|---|
Public Office | Name | Function |
Deputy Prime Minister | Frank Vandenbroucke | Social Affairs and Public Health |
Minister | Meryame Kitir | Development Cooperation and Urban Policy |
Regional politics
Flemish Parliament | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Name | Notes | Name | Notes | ||
Hannelore Goeman | Fraction Leader | Conner Rousseau | Party President | ||
Kurt De Loor | Community Senator | Freya Van den Bossche | |||
Annick Lambrecht | Community Senator | Steve Vandenberghe | Mayor of Bredene | ||
Maxim Veys | Katia Segers | Community Senator | |||
Bruno Tobback | Caroline Gennez | ||||
Hannes Anaf | Els Robeyns | Mayor of Wellen | |||
Ludwig Vandenhove |
Parliament of the Brussels-Capital Region | |||
---|---|---|---|
Name | Notes | ||
Fouad Ahidar | |||
Els Rochette | |||
Hilde Sabbe |
Vervoort II
| ||
---|---|---|
Public Office | Name | Function |
Minister | Pascal Smet | Urbanism, European and International Affairs, Foreign Trade, Fire Fighting and Emergency Medical Assistance |
Provincial politics
Provincial Council | ||
---|---|---|
Province | Percentage | Seats |
Antwerp
|
12,80% | 10 / 72
|
Limburg | 20,10%° | 13 / 63
|
East Flanders | 12,70% | 9 / 72
|
Flemish Brabant | 12,10% | 8 / 72
|
West Flanders | 15,80% | 12 / 72
|
° In Limburg, SP.A formed a cartel with Groen.
Electoral results
Chamber of Representatives
Election | Votes | % | Seats | +/- | Government |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1978 | 684,976 | 12.4 | 26 / 212
|
Coalition | |
1981 | 744,593 | 12.4 | 26 / 212
|
Opposition | |
1985 | 882,200 | 14.6 | 32 / 212
|
6 | Opposition |
1987 | 915,432 | 14.9 | 32 / 212
|
0 | Coalition |
1991 | 737,976 | 12.0 | 28 / 212
|
4 | Coalition |
1995 | 762,444 | 12.6 | 20 / 150
|
8 | Coalition |
1999 | 593,372 | 9.5 | 14 / 150
|
6 | Coalition |
2003* | 979,750 | 14.9 | 23 / 150
|
9 | Coalition |
2007 | 684,390 | 10.3 | 14 / 150
|
9 | Opposition |
2010 | 602,867 | 9.2 | 13 / 150
|
1 | Coalition |
2014 | 595,190 | 8.8 | 13 / 150
|
0 | Opposition |
2019 | 455,034 | 6.7 | 9 / 150
|
4 | External support (2020) |
Coalition (2020-) |
Senate
Election | Votes | % | Seats | +/- |
---|---|---|---|---|
1978 | 678,776 | 12.4 | 13 / 106
|
|
1981 | 732,126 | 12.3 | 13 / 106
|
0 |
1985 | 868,624 | 14.5 | 16 / 106
|
3 |
1987 | 896,294 | 14.7 | 17 / 106
|
1 |
1991 | 730,274 | 11.9 | 14 / 106
|
3 |
1995 | 792,941 | 13.2 | 6 / 40
|
8 |
1999 | 550,657 | 8.9 | 4 / 40
|
2 |
2003[b] | 1,013,560 | 15.5 | 7 / 40
|
3 |
2007 | 665,342 | 10.0 | 4 / 40
|
3 |
2010 | 613,079 | 9.5 | 4 / 40
|
0 |
Regional
Brussels Parliament
Election | Votes | % | Seats | +/- | Government | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
D.E.C. | Overall | |||||
1995
|
11,710 | 2.7 (#9) | 2 / 75
|
Coalition | ||
1995 | 9,987 | 2.4 (#9) | 2 / 75
|
0 | Coalition | |
1999[c] | 13,223 | 21.8 (#4) | 3.1 (#8) | 2 / 75
|
0 | Coalition |
2004[b] | 11,052 | 17.7 (#3) | 2.4 (#8) | 3 / 89
|
1 | Coalition |
2009 | 10,085 | 19.5 (#2) | 2.2 (#6) | 4 / 89
|
1 | Opposition |
2014 | 10,450 | 19.5 (#2) | 2.3 (#8) | 3 / 89
|
1 | Coalition |
2019 | 10,540 | 15.1 (#3) | 2.3 (#10) | 3 / 89
|
0 | Coalition |
Flemish Parliament
Election | Votes | % | Seats | +/- | Government |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1995 | 733,703 | 19.4 (#3) | 25 / 124
|
Coalition | |
1999 | 582,419 | 15.0 (#4) | 19 / 124
|
6 | Coalition |
2004[d] | 799,325 | 19.7 (#4) | 22 / 124
|
3 | Coalition |
2009 | 627,852 | 15.3 (#3) | 19 / 124
|
3 | Coalition |
2014 | 587,903 | 14.0 (#4) | 18 / 124
|
1 | Opposition |
2019 | 429,631 | 10.1 (#5) | 12 / 124
|
6 | Opposition |
European Parliament
Election | Votes | % | Seats | +/- | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
D.E.C. | Overall | ||||
1979 | 698,889 | 20.9 (#2) | 12.8 | 3 / 24
|
|
1984 | 979,702 | 28.1 (#2) | 17.1 | 4 / 24
|
1 |
1989 | 733,242 | 20.0 (#2) | 12.4 | 3 / 24
|
1 |
1994 | 651,371 | 17.6 (#3) | 10.9 | 3 / 25
|
|
1999 | 550,237 | 14.2 (#4) | 8.8 | 2 / 25
|
1 |
2004[b] | 716,317 | 17.8 (#3) | 11.0 | 3 / 24
|
1 |
2009 | 539,393 | 13.2 (#4) | 8.2 | 2 / 22
|
1 |
2014 | 555,354 | 13.2 (#4) | 8.3 | 1 / 21
|
1 |
2019 | 434,002 | 10.2 (#6) | 6.4 | 1 / 21
|
0 |
Symbols
-
2001–2010
-
2010–2018
-
2018–2021
-
2021–
Notes
References
- ^ "Open VLD heeft de meeste leden en steekt CD&V voorbij". deredactie.be. 30 October 2014.
- ^ "Open Vld telt meeste leden". De Morgen. 30 October 2014.
- ^ Nordsieck, Wolfram (2019). "Flanders/Belgium". Parties and Elections in Europe. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
- ISBN 978-0-203-94609-1.
- ISBN 978-0-313-39182-8.
- ISBN 978-1-136-34039-0.
- ISBN 978-1-59140-790-4.
- ISBN 978-1-107-02385-7.
- ^ "sp.a - the Flemish Socialist Party". sp.a. Archived from the original on 23 September 2009. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
- VRT NWS. 8 November 2019. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
- ^ Von der Burchard, Hans (21 May 2018). "Belgian socialist party circulates 'deep fake' Donald Trump video". Politico. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
- ^ Torbeyns, Anouck (21 March 2021). "SP.A is officieel Vooruit: 'Definitief afstand van de stilstand'". De Standaard (in Dutch). Retrieved 21 March 2021.
- ^ "Vande Lanotte gooit handdoek in de ring" (in Dutch). VRT. 11 June 2007. Retrieved 12 June 2007.
- ^ Naam van sp.a verandert niet, begeleidende slogan wel Archived 20 January 2009 at the Wayback Machine ("Sp.a name doesn't change, baseline does"), GvA, 17 January 2009
- ^ "Le sp.a pour un "nouveau socialisme" et de "nouvelles égalités" (in French). RTBF. 21 January 2018. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
- ^ "Le sp.a pour un "nouveau socialisme". Le Vif/L'Express (in French). 21 January 2018. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
- VRT NWS(in Dutch). Retrieved 4 January 2021.
- ^ a b "sp.a partijvoorzitters". Tijdslijn.s-p-a.be. Archived from the original on 9 October 2009. Retrieved 19 June 2010.
Further reading
- Johan Vande Lanotte (2010), Vlugschrift – over welvaart en geluk, (retrievable on the website sp.a-ledenbeheer[ISBN 978-90-486-0629-0.
- Patrick Vander Weyden, Koen Abts (2010), De basis spreekt — onderzoek naar de leden, mandatarissen en kiezers van sp.a (research on members sp.a by ISBN 978-90-334-7571-9.
External links
- Media related to Vooruit (party) at Wikimedia Commons
- Official website (Dutch)