Abstract
Many radical right-wing parties have marked significant growth in the last 20 years. This spectacular dynamic has received thorough attention from the scientific community. Their electoral performance has most often been analysed at a national level. Analysis at sub-national levels is rare. This paper analyses the performance of the Vlaams Belang (Flemish Interest) in local elections in Belgium between 1982 and 2018. Our analysis shows that the Vlaams Belang was able to overcome all institutional and political barriers in order to compete successfully at this level. At the same time, we find that the institutionalisation process at the local level is not a predictor of the ensuing electoral result for the party. On the contrary, the local electoral result correlates to the national curve and the global image of the party. In this dynamics, local elections could lead to different outcomes for the Vlaams Belang. The 1988 and 2018 local elections paved the way to a larger political development. On the contrary, the 2006 local elections led to a sharp political and electoral decline.
Highlights
Many Radical Right-Wing Parties have made significant progress in the last 20 years
Our analysis shows that the Vlaams Belang was able to overcome all institutional and political barriers in order to compete successfully at this level
We find that the institutionalisation process at the local level is not a predictor of the ensuing electoral result for the party
Summary
Many Radical Right-Wing Parties have made significant progress in the last 20 years. This spectacular dynamic has received exceptional attention from the scientific community The Vlaams Belang, a Far-Right Party in the Flemish part of Belgium, belongs—like the French National Front (FN, today National Rally) or the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ)—to the first wave (Ivaldi, 2019) of the renaissance of Radical European Rights. As such, it had been the subject of sustained primary attention. In Belgium, two dimensions make party analysis in local competition salient Both citizens and political parties deem the municipal level very important. Whatever the election in Belgium, the average electoral turnout is between 88% and 91%
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