The Vlaams Belang Breakthrough in Ranst: Is the Cordon Sanitaire Really Broken?

brussels - An extreme right party, Vlaams Belang, will be part of a local coalition in Ranst, Belgium, breaking a long-standing agreement with mainstream parties. However, some argue the agreement still stands.

In the Flemish municipality of Ranst, the extremist right-wing party Vlaams Belang has formed a coalition with two local parties, marking a significant shift in Belgian politics. This move has sparked a debate on whether the cordon sanitaire, a decades-old agreement among mainstream parties to not collaborate with Vlaams Belang, has indeed been broken.

The cordon sanitaire was initially established in the late 1980s to ostracize Vlaams Belang and its predecessor, Vlaams Blok, from political power. However, the recent coalition formation in Ranst has raised questions about the scope of this agreement, as it was designed primarily at the national level.

Local parties like Vrij Ranst, which is essentially the local branch of the liberal party Open VLD, have entered into alliances with Vlaams Belang, prompting critics to argue that the cordon has been breached. Nevertheless, some argue that the boycott was swiftly repaired when members involved in the Ranst coalition were expelled by their national parties.

The ongoing debate has also shed light on similar discussions in other regions of Belgium. In Ninove, Vlaams Belang secured an absolute majority in the local elections, potentially leading to the first mayor affiliated with the party. However, concerns of electoral fraud loom over this historic win, with investigations focusing on alleged illegal practices such as coercing voters through proxy votes.

Meanwhile, in French-speaking Belgium, a different scenario unfolds as the liberal party MR advocates for a cordon sanitaire against extreme left movements to curb the rise of the Marxist party PTB. Additionally, a media blockade, known as cordon médiatique, is in place where mainstream parties avoid engaging in televised debates with leaders of extreme factions.