Vlaams Belang leader Tom Van Grieken is taking Vooruit leader Melissa Depraetere to court, accusing her of defamation and slander for calling him a racist.
Depraetere was asked if she believed Van Grieken to be a racist during an interview with De Tijd. "Yes, it's surprising that the question is even being asked," she replied, accusing him of inciting hatred, exploiting divisions and scapegoating immigrants for all of society's problems.
In reaction to these accusations, Van Grieken has promised to file a case against Depraetere for defamation and slander. "It's fine for Vooruit to politically challenge us, but accusing someone of racism without grounds is a step too far," Van Grieken stated, suggesting that Depraetere should focus on resolving her own party's racism issues.
According to a party spokesperson, Van Grieken plans to lodge his complaint this week after it is reviewed by a legal team.
Vooruit continues to defend its position. "We tell it like it is," the party has since stated. "Those who entertain the fascist conspiracy theory of population replacement pose a threat to our freedom, security and prosperity."
Seeking political acceptance
Much like a flurry of other far-right parties across Europe, Vlaams Belang is on a mission to transform its image from a radical party to a mainstream one. "We are a Democratic party representing more than 800,000 voters," said Van Grieken in the same statement. "I will not allow myself and my party to be dismissed as racists."
The party's reputation is already marred by multiple accusations of discrimination. A 2004 ruling from the Ghent Court of Appeal found the party's predecessor Vlaams Blok guilty of racism. "Vlaams Blok is a party that obviously and systematically fosters discrimination," it said at the time. "You treat foreigners as criminals, evildoers, freeloaders, unassimilable fanatics and a threat to your own people."
Vlaams Belang MEP Tom Vandendriessche has been accused of using 'Nazi-like' language. Credit: EP Photo
This rhetoric continues to pervade Vlaams Belang. A former party member was convicted for inciting Islamophobic and anti-Semitic hatred online last November, and Vlaams Belang MEP Tom Vandendriessche is currently under investigation for repeatedly using Nazi-like language in the European Parliament.
The party has a habit of posting targeted adverts with racist and disparaging language against immigrants, particularly against the country's Muslim population. A video showing episodes of violence on New Year's Eve were accompanied by calling immigrants as "scum" which "need to be removed from society."
The party endorses the widely condemned Great Replacement theory, which stipulates that there is a deliberate attempt to replace the native (usually white) population with non-natives – typically of a different ethnicity. In Belgium, there has been a concerted effort to prevent this discourse from becoming normalised.
'Pure and simple racism'
Depraetere's comments about Van Grieken occurred in the context of a defence of her own socialist party. Vooruit is no stranger to racist accusations either, with former leader Conner Rousseau stepping down last November following discriminatory comments he made about Belgium's Roma population during a night out.
Two weeks ago, Tom Meeuws was forced to resign from his post as Antwerp local councillor when it emerged that he made racist remarks about his political opponents. He called alderwoman Nabilla Ait Daoud (N-VA) a "mocroschepen" (an insensitive term alluding to the Moroccan mafia), and habitually used highly racialised nicknames to refer to party colleagues Jinnih Beels and Karim Bachar.
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As Vooruit's interim leader, Depraetare is determined to preserve her party's reputation and position it as the only viable alternative to Vlaams Belang. She insists that while Meeuws said racist things, he is not a racist. Meanwhile, Vlaams Belang "is proclaiming everywhere that an organised repopulation is underway. This is not a racist statement, it is pure and simple racism."
"There is only one party capable of keeping Vlaams Belang out of the Flemish Government and that is Vooruit," she told De Tijd.
