Vlaams Belang hosts Jordan Bardella as EU migration pact clears Belgian parliament
Vlaams Belang hosted the leader of France's Rassemblement National on Thursday, just one day before the European Pact on Migration and Asylum officially comes into force - a pact both far-right parties firmly oppose. At a press conference in Brussels, Bardella expressed his support for Vlaams Belang's future electoral prospects.
Jordan Bardella is chairman of the French Rassemblement National (RN) and leader of the Patriots for Europe group in the European Parliament, to which Vlaams Belang's three MEPs belong. RN is performing well in French polls, and if Marine Le Pen's embezzlement conviction stands, Bardella is expected to become the party's candidate for the 2027 presidential election.
Bardella did not confirm the party's plans on Thursday. "If we gain the trust of the French people, Marine and I, or Marine or I, will make our first foreign trip to Brussels to lay the foundations for a new European architecture," he said at a press conference hosted by Vlaams Belang in Brussels, attended by numerous national and international media.
"If we gain the trust of the French people, Marine and I, or Marine or I, will make our first foreign trip to Brussels to lay the foundations for a new European architecture"
The chairman of Rassemblement National came to Brussels on Thursday to express his support for Vlaams Belang's opposition to the EU's migration and asylum pact. Vlaams Belang is calling for a referendum on the migration pact, mirroring Rassemblement National's pledge to organise one on migration if it comes to power in France.
In recent weeks, Vlaams Belang has filibustered for hours against the new migration rules, both in committee and in the Chamber's plenary session. Bardella defended the Flemish party, saying it is wrongly accused of "obstructing" parliamentary work when it is in fact "fighting to preserve its nation."
Bardella is due to speak at the Flemish Parliament on Thursday evening. Several hundred people took part in a protest near the building, with some throwing eggs and firecrackers. A heavy police presence was in place in the surrounding area.
Belgium approves Reception Directive
The EU Migration Pact consists of nine regulations that enter into force automatically across the EU on Friday, along with the Reception Directive, which required transposition into national law by each member state. Despite Vlaams Belang's opposition, the Chamber's plenary session on Thursday approved the draft bill transposing the directive into Belgian law.
The Reception Directive introduces uniform minimum standards for the reception of asylum seekers across the EU, with the aim of preventing them from travelling to another EU member state where conditions might be better. The draft legislation also enables compulsory residence to be imposed on asylum seekers.
#FlandersNewsService | PHOTO © NICOLAS TUCAT / AFP
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