Belgium's national parties now know their list numbers for the federal, Flemish and European elections on 9 June, after a blind draw on Friday. Flemish far-right Vlaams Belang party drew number 1, Flemish Christian-Democrats CD&V are last in line.
The draw happened – by several "innocent children's hands" – on the premises of the Federal Public Interior Affairs Service on Friday in the presence of Home Affairs Minister Annelies Verlinden. As required by law, the draw takes place exactly 65 days before the elections.
The numbers determine the order in which the parties appear on the ballot paper or voting computer and while parties often (try to) capitalise on their number in their election campaign, the order has little importance for the actual voting process.
Not every party will be on every ballot paper/voting computer, as not every party participates in every election.
What about new parties?
On Friday, only parties that already have at least one seat in one of Belgium's parliaments were given numbers, the other parties will get one later in an additional draw.
Yet, one of these new parties, Voor U ("For You" in Dutch), denounced the draw system, particularly calling it "Kafkaesque" that not all parties get a number. "Everyone gets one number, or no one gets one."
"This draw was only for existing parties that have already been able to protect their name and logo by being elected in the past," a spokesperson for Blanco Partij told The Brussels Times, adding that the smaller parties will get a number on 18 April.
The list numbers for the upcoming elections in Belgium, Friday 05 April 2024. Credit: Belga/Hatim Kaghat
On the already determined electoral lists, Vlaams Belang will be first on the list after drawing number 1, followed by first the French-speaking MR and then the Flemish liberals Open VLD on number 2 and 3, respectively.
Number 4 goes to the Francophone socialist PS, 5 is to the pan-European party Volt, and 6 to the French-speaking Christian Democrats of Les Engagés. The Brussels party Agora Belgium will be found at number 7, the radical left PTB-PVDA at 8, Flemish socialists Vooruit at 9, and Flemish rightwing N-VA at 10.
Relatively unknown parties Vivant and ProDG were given numbers 11 and 12, respectively, followed by Brussels' French-speaking DéFI at number 13. On number 14 and 15 are the Francophone and Flemish greens Ecolo and Groen. The Flemish Christian-Democrats CD&V close the list with number 16.
List numbers
1. Vlaams Belang
2. MR
3. Open VLD
4. PS
5. Volt Europe
6. Les Engagés
7. Agora
8. PVDA/PTB
9. Vooruit
10. N-VA
11. Vivant
12. Pro DG
13. DéFI
14. Ecolo
15. Groen
16. CD&V
