Libertarian, Direct, Democratic

Libertarian, Direct, Democratic ( nl, Libertair, Direct, Democratisch; LDD) is a conservative-liberal, libertarian, right-wing populist Flemish political party in Belgium.

The party surprised commentators by winning five seats in the Chamber and one seat in the Senate in 2007, and eight seats in the 2009 Flemish Parliament election. The party remained with only one federal seat after the 2010 election. Previously known as List Dedecker, the party adopted its current name on 22 January 2011.

From 2011 to 2014, the LDD's MEP, Derk Jan Eppink, was with the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group in the European Parliament.

History

The party was founded in January 2007 by Senator Jean-Marie Dedecker as List Dedecker also 'LDD'). Dedecker had left the New Flemish Alliance to found the LDD after the ''Cassandra'' think tank judged in 2006 that there was room for a right-wing conservative-liberal movement in the Flemish Community, expressing the need for a "common sense party." Dedecker also claimed he wanted to be the Flemish party political equivalent of Geert Wilders and Pim Fortuyn.

The 2007 federal election was the first ever election contested by Lijst Dedecker. They met the 5% threshold for parliamentary representation, in spite of all pre-election polls dismissing the chances for the party.

In the 2007 federal election, the party won 5 seats in the Chamber of Representatives and 1 seat in the Senate, surprising many of its opponents. In the 2009 Flemish and European elections, Lijst Dedecker won a disappointing 8 seats in the Flemish Parliament and 1 seat in the European Parliament despite pre-election polls that had indicated a bigger share of the votes for Lijst Dedecker. On 25 June, one member of the LDD fraction crossed the floor to the Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats, leaving the LDD caucus with 7 remaining seats.

After the 2010 federal election, the LDD returned one representative to the Chamber of Representatives.

In the 2014 federal election, the LDD received of the 0.4% of the vote, returning no representatives.

The party did not run in the 2019 federal election and instead focused its activities at a local level. The party currently maintains a chapter in Middelkerke where Dedecker was elected mayor by a large margin in 2019. Peter Reekmans was also elected as mayor of Glabbeek affiliated to the LDD. Dedecker was also returned for a brief period as an MP to the Chamber of Representatives in 2019, but as an independent candidate.

Ideology

The party's economic program is predominantly based on free market economics, a flat tax system, the reform of unemployment benefits and social security schemes and the fight against waste and corruption.

Furthermore, LDD stands for the introduction of a binding referendum, the abolition of barriers for new political parties in Belgium and a tougher approach towards crime. The party also strives for a more independent Flanders. LDD is widely considered to be liberal on social issues, in spite of having a strong traditional conservative wing as well. The party takes a eurosceptic stance towards the European Union and wants a more strict immigration policy.

At the European level, the party allied itself with moderate Eurosceptics such as the British Conservative Party, the Czech Civic Democrats and the Polish Law and Justice, and sits on the European Conservatives and Reformists group in the European Parliament. LDD was initially expected to align themselves with the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party (ELDR) after an open invitation to this effect by ELDR chairwoman Annemie Neyts. Prior to joining the ECR group, LDD was also briefly courted by Declan Ganley's pan-European movement Libertas.

LDD opposes the cordon sanitaire that is used to keep the far-right separatist Vlaams Belang from power, claiming that it is unsuccessful and undemocratic. Some critics even argue that the electoral success of LDD has hampered further growth of Vlaams Belang by virtue of attracting right-wing or protest votes that otherwise would have gone to that party.

At a given point in 2008, LDD was also looking for a political joint venture in Wallonia with liberal economist Rudy Aernoudt as their partner in this endeavour. In 2010, talks were undertaken with the People's Party of Mischaël Modrikamen, which Aernoudt had helped co-found, about political cooperation, but with no tangible result.

Representation

The party currently isn't represented in any Belgian parliament, nor in the European Parliament.

Electoral results

Federal Parliament

Regional parliaments

Brussels Parliament

Flemish Parliament

European Parliament

See also

* Liberal Appeal, the right-wing liberal party of former VLD floor leader Ward Beysen.
* Nova Civitas, the classical-liberal think tank of Boudewijn Bouckaert.
* Veilig Blauw, the right-wing liberal party of former VLD senator .
* Vlaamse Liberalen en Democraten, the social-liberal VLD party.
* VLOTT, the right-wing liberal party of former VLD senator Hugo Coveliers.

Footnotes

External links

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{{Belgian political parties

Eurosceptic parties in Belgium
Conservative liberal parties
Libertarian parties
Flemish political parties in Belgium
Libertarianism in Belgium
National liberal parties
Separatism in Belgium
Right-wing populism in Belgium
Right-wing populist parties