The Belgian Workers’ Party, or PTB, is charging traditional parties from the left, threatening the once-almighty Socialist Party and disrupting the country’s politics that, until today, were drifting slowly to the right.
With a rebooted Marxist platform, the PTB has gained momentum in Belgium’s fractious political landscape, in large part by campaigning against globalization. Its rise comes at the expense of the Socialists and causes particular pain for Paul Magnette, minister-president of the Walloon region, as well as party chairman and former Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo. [...]
Two years ago, the party got its first two representatives elected to the federal parliament and, since then, the party has gained significant support — especially in the depressed industrial region of Wallonia where it was polling at 18.4 percent this month, within striking distance of the French-speaking Socialists (PS) at 25.4 percent and Prime Minister Charles Michel’s Liberal Reformist Movement at 23.1 percent. [...]
For decades, Belgian politics have been divided by language. The Socialist Party, the Liberals and the centrist Christian-Democrats all split into Flemish and French-speaking parties in the late 1960s and 70s. The Workers’ Party is the only party in Belgium that contests for seats across the country’s linguistic borders.
That appeals to voters frustrated by the Balkanization of Belgium, where more decisions are taken at the regional level. The three communities — Dutch-speaking, French-speaking and German-speaking — oversee culture and education, while the regions — Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels — deal with the economy, employment, housing, transport, urban planning and even foreign trade.
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