The Mid-term Provincial Elections as a Springboard for the Flemish Nationalists

The provincial elections in Belgium in 2012 provide a unique opportunity to measure the changes in vote shares that have occurred between the federal elections of 2010 and the federal, regional and European elections of 2014. The election results not only demonstrated significant differences between Flemish and Walloon provinces but also, and more importantly, the clear success of the Flemish nationalists (N-VA). In Flanders, almost all the other parties, including the extreme-right, lost significant vote shares. This victory of the Flemish nationalists increases the importance of the forthcoming elections of 2014 and their impact on the future of Belgium.