Belgium’s liberal party Anders approves new rules to renew itself

The Flemish liberal party Anders, formerly known as Open VLD, has approved new party rules aimed at bringing in new people and modernising how the party works.

Members voted in favour of the changes at a party meeting in Hasselt on Saturday. Party leader Frederic De Gucht said the reforms mark a complete break with the past. “Today we have literally buried the VLD,” he told members.

One of the biggest changes is that people who are not party members can now take part in discussions. Supporters can register as “MedestAnders” (“fellow Anders”), while outside experts and critics can also be invited to challenge the party’s ideas and provide feedback.

The party is also creating a new advisory body called the Mirror Council, made up of party members and registered supporters. The group will regularly change its members and is designed to bring fresh perspectives.

Anders wants to encourage political renewal. Under the new rules, at least one of the top two candidates on each parliamentary election list must be someone who has never held a national elected office before. The party is also introducing measures to give younger members a stronger voice in its leadership.

A proposed ban on combining a government position with a seat in parliament was ultimately rejected. De Gucht said members concluded that voters, rather than party rules, should decide who can hold elected office.

The reforms follow the party’s rebranding earlier this year. In January, Open VLD changed its name to Anders, which means “Different” in Dutch. The party hopes the new identity and rules will help it recover after poor election results in 2024 and attract more voters ahead of the next elections in 2029.

^{#FlandersNewsService | ​ © BELGA PHOTO NICOLAS MAETERLINCK}