MP and Dentergem municipality alderman Koen Degroote will take part in the "Joris Van Severen Symposium", next Saturday. Van Severen was born on July 19, 1894 in a village in the Dentergem municipality in West Flanders. He founded the Verdinaso, a pre-war fascist movement with its fair share of anti-Semitic activities, back in 1931, said Le Soir, last Thursday.
After the Jambon and Francken episodes, this is yet another N-VA elected member displaying a certain closeness to the far right , albeit the Old Far Right.
Contacted by Belgian newspaper Le Soir, Koen Degroote confirmed his presence at the event next Saturday and insisted that it was "a historical, not a political conference" and that he would only speak "to welcome the speakers". "I’m just doing my duty", he said.
(Source: Belga)