Belgium: Breaking the Consensus? Eurosceptic Parties

Abstract

Belgium has traditionally been characterized by a lasting permissive consensus on European integration issues. The Eurobarometer data shows that trust in European Union (EU) institutions is stronger than in national ones and the level of support for EU membership is relatively high, although slightly lower than was previously the case. In recent years, more dissonant voices have started to slowly undermine one of the pillars of its political system. Some parties—like the Flemish nationalist party New Flemish Alliance (N-VA)—have taken a more critical stance towards Europe, while traditional Eurosceptic parties—like the radical left Workers’ Party of Belgium (PvdA/PTB)—have gained in popularity. Nevertheless, the overall salience of the EU as a political topic remains rather low in Belgium when it comes to party competition. This is partly because the 2019 European elections coincided with both the national and regional elections, resulting in little attention for EU related issues. Furthermore, the EU is neither part of the core ideology of any party; even the more Eurosceptic parties focus on different political topics.