Flemish liberals slip further in new poll
In the first poll since changing their name to Anders and joining the Brussels government, the Flemish liberals have slipped to 5.6 per cent. That shows a new poll by VTM NIEUWS, HLN, RTL and Le Soir published on Friday.
The new poll is particularly painful for Anders. The 2024 elections were already a real blow with 8.7 per cent, but the party is now shrinking even further to 5.6 per cent. The Flemish liberals are flirting with the electoral threshold. A sobering realisation for Frédéric De Gucht, who has been party leader since October.
“This is not where we want to be. We’re not going to sugar-coat it,” De Gucht said in response to the poll. “But let’s be honest: renewing a party and establishing a new narrative is not a sprint. It’s a marathon. That doesn’t happen overnight.”
He also says he understands that last month’s decision to join the Brussels government is viewed with scepticism. De Gucht had always maintained that he would not do so without the N-VA, but ultimately went ahead with it anyway, because he believes he can make a difference in terms of financial discipline, cleanliness and safety in the capital.
"Renewing a party and establishing a new narrative is not a sprint. It’s a marathon"
“We are convinced that these are the right choices,” he says. “We understand that voters are not yet rewarding them, certainly not after the past few years. But make no mistake: we are not going to give up. This poll is not a cause for doubt for us, but an extra motivation. We will continue to build the liberal party of tomorrow. The course has been set and we will not deviate.”
In French-speaking Belgium, too, it is mainly the liberals who are taking a hit: the MR secured over 28 per cent in the elections, but has now dropped to 21 per cent. The socialist party PS stands head and shoulders above the other parties in Wallonia and would now secure 27.9 per cent of the vote. The centrist Les Engagés, with 19.4 per cent, remains roughly the same size as in the elections.
A striking picture emerges in Brussels. There, the far-left PVDA/PTB is by far the largest party with 25.5 per cent. The PS, MR and Les Engagés – which together formed the new Brussels government on the French-speaking side – follow at a respectable distance with 18.4 per cent, 16.4 per cent and 11.7 per cent respectively.
#FlandersNewsService | Frédéric De Gucht, party leader of Anders © BELGA PHOTO MARIUS BURGELMAN
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