Vlaams Belang was the party which spent the most on the Meta Group's networks (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp) from 5 May to 3 June to disseminate sponsored content, according to the American company's advertising library.
Taking into account sponsored pages costing over €4,000 during this period, the Flemish far-right party spent a staggering €449,757. The page of party leader Tom Van Grieken received more support than that of the party itself, with €257,795 and €156,885 spent, respectively.
Behind Vlaams Belang, the Flemish Christian Democrats (CD&V) were very active in the last month of the campaign. The party spent €246,757 on its party page and a total of €371,027 when including sponsored pages costing more than €4,000.
Following CD&V was Green Party Groen (€251,087 for publications costing more than €4,000), the Belgian Workers Party PVDA (€230,953) and Flemish socialists Vooruit (€203,736). Flemish right-wing party N-VA was particularly frugal over the period, spending €151,860, on par with the Flemish liberals Open VLD (€151,752).
In total, more than €2.2 million was spent in Flanders, €543,000 in Wallonia, and €286,000 in Brussels on "advertising relating to social, electoral, or political issues."
French-speaking parties
With €115,352, the French-speaking centre-right party Les Engagés came behind Open VLD. Socialist party PS (€87,059) came next, followed by liberals MR (€81,473), centrists DéFI (€26,204) and Green Party Ecolo (€17,105). Belgian Workers Party PTB spent very little in the south of the country, with €18,137 on its page and €5,387 on the French-language page of its president, Raoul Hedebouw.
Three small parties also sponsored pages worth more than €4,000: Voor U (€37,281), Viva Palestina via the page of its head of list, Dyab Abou Jahjah (€7,355) and the far-right party Chez Nous (€4,353).
