Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats
However, the VLD continued to contain conservative-libertarian and classical liberal wings with ties to think-tanks like Nova Civitas.Internal feuds, the support for electoral rights for immigrants and an unsuccessful economic policy were seen as the main reasons for its election defeat.The new liberal party, which struggled with an anti-clerical image, opened its doors for believers, but wasn't too concerned about the situation of workers and primarily defended the interests of employers.Willy De Clercq became the first chairman of the independent Party of Freedom and Progress (Dutch: Partij voor Vrijheid en Vooruitgang, PVV).This reform was coupled an Ethical Congress, on which the PVV adopted very progressive and tolerant stances regarding abortion, euthanasia, adultery, homosexuality and gender equality.In 1992, the PVV was reformed into the Flemish Liberals and Democrats (Vlaamse Liberalen en Democraten, VLD) under the impulse of Verhofstadt.Some of the party's ideological influences have been Karl Popper, John Stuart Mill, Thomas Paine, Amartya Sen and Martha Nussbaum.The party also contained members from both social democratic and Flemish nationalist liberal-conservative backgrounds who have influenced the VLD's course, such as former Volksunie leader Jaak Gabriëls and Hugo Coveliers falling into the latter camp.Dedecker later founded the LDD and Coveliers VLOTT while others joined the N-VA.[12] In 2024, Open VLD (along with MR) blocked Belgium from recognizing the State of Palestine.In the European Committee of the Regions, Open VLD sits in the Renew Europe CoR group, with two alternate members for the 2020-2025 mandate.
VLD (disambiguation)Eva De BleekerAlexander De CrooVivantParty for Freedom and ProgressIdeologyLiberalismBelgianPro-EuropeanismPolitical positionCentre-rightLiberal GroupEuropean affiliationAlliance of Liberals and Democrats for EuropeEuropean Parliament groupRenew EuropeLiberal InternationalReformist MovementChamber of RepresentativesSenateFlemish ParliamentBrussels ParliamentEuropean ParliamentFlemish seatsFlemish Provincial CouncilsBenelux ParliamentPolitics of BelgiumPolitical partiesElectionsliberalpolitical partyconservative liberalsocial liberalGuy Verhofstadtcoalition governmentChristian Democratic and Flemish2004 regional election2009 regional electionLeterme I GovernmentVan Rompuy I GovernmentLeterme II GovernmentDi Rupo Governmenteconomically liberalThatcheritecentristfree marketDirk VerhofstadtNova CivitasBart SomersBelgian Prime MinisterBoudewijn BouckaertFrench CommunityEuropean electionsFlemish BlocList DedeckerLiberal PartyWalthère Frère-Orbananti-clericalismOmer VanaudenhoveFlemishFrancophoneFrans GrootjansHerman VanderpoortenWilly De ClercqMilou Jeunehommeeuthanasiaadulterygender equalityAnnemie NeytsChristian People's PartyJaak GabriëlsPeople's UnionHugo Coveliers1999 general electionPrime MinisterPatrick DewaelMinister-President of Flandersgreens2007 general electionLiberal Appealgeneral elections2010 general electiongovernment formation processHistoryAge of EnlightenmentList of liberal theoristsConsent of the governedDue processDemocracyEconomic liberalismEconomic globalizationEqualityGenderFederalismFreedomEconomicMarketReligionSpeechHarm principleInternationalismInvisible handLabor theory of propertyLaissez-faireLibertyNegativePositiveLimited governmentMarket economyNatural monopolyOpen societyPermissive societyPopular sovereigntyPropertyPrivatePublicRightsCivil and politicalNatural and legalTo own propertyTo bear armsRule of lawSecularismSecular humanismSeparation of church and stateSeparation of powers