Belgium’s far right. Blokked

The banning of the Vlaams Blok

WHILE the Dutch crack down on Islamic radicals, in Belgium it is white racists who are under assault. On November 9th Belgium's appeals court approved a ban on the Vlaams Blok, which campaigns against immigration and for an independent Flanders, the Dutch-speaking bit of Belgium.

The Blok and its supporters were accused of violating anti-racism laws. In the past, party leaders have advocated forcible repatriation of immigrants. For years the Blok was dismissed as a fringe party with origins among former Nazi collaborators. But it has become the most popular party in Flanders, with over 26% support in opinion polls. Mainstream parties have resisted working with the Blok, keeping it out of governments at both national and regional level. They have now managed to get the party banned.

Such measures are likely to backfire. The Blok plans to re-form, probably under the name Vlaams Belang (Flemish Interest). By setting up a new organisation, it hopes to put itself beyond the law. But the banning and the party's continuing absence from government will allow the new party to keep the outsider status that enabled the Blok to soak up the protest vote in Flanders.

Events across the border will do no harm to a party that has made fear of Muslim immigration a central part of its pitch. Filip Dewinter, co-leader of the Blok, was quick to make the connection. “In the Netherlands”, he declared, “they killed freedom of speech with bullets. In this country, they killed it in a court.”