Parti Populaire

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Parti Populaire - PeoplePartij
Parti Populaire - PersonenPartij Logo.jpg
Mischaël Modrikamen
Party leader Mischaël Modrikamen
Deputy Chairman Joël Rubinfeld
founding November 26, 2009
resolution 18th June 2019
Headquarters Avenue Molière 144
1050 Ixelles / Elsene ( Brussels )
Alignment Right- wing liberalism
Conservatism
Right-wing populism
Colours) violet
Website www.partipopulaire.be

The Parti Populaire ( PP ) ( Dutch (official): PersonenPartij , German (translated): People's Party or persons party ) was a Belgian party , which turned out across the country to choose from, but mainly in French-speaking part ( Wallonia and Brussels is active). It was founded in November 2009 by the Brussels lawyer Mischaël Modrikamen and the former top Flemish civil servant Rudy Aernoudt . However, the latter was expelled from the party in August 2010. The Parti Populaire belongs to the right-wing liberal and conservative to right-wing populist spectrum. The party was dissolved by a unanimous vote of the party members present at the party congress on June 18, 2019.

history

In 2009 the lawyer for small shareholders, Mischaël Modrikamen, who became known throughout Belgium as a result of the " Fortis affair", began to announce his entry into active politics. He intended to found a party based on the model of the Spanish Partido Popular (PP) or the French Union pour un mouvement populaire (UMP), which could present itself as an alternative to the existing large Francophone parties. Modrikamen particularly attacked the liberal Mouvement Réformateur (MR) and accused it of only representing the interests of the upper middle class.

In September 2009 Modrikamen finally decided on the name Parti Populaire and announced that he wanted to bring together "under one umbrella the right-wing liberals, the right-wing conservatives and those disappointed by the system, who sometimes vote for FN and sometimes for Ecolo ". He also announced that his party would be a federal party that would run for elections in both the French-speaking and Dutch-speaking parts of the country. In October 2009 it was officially announced that Rudy Aernoudt would join the party. Aernoudt, former top Flemish official and head of cabinet of both Flemish and Walloon ministers, had previously failed to found his own party, LiDé , which was also supposed to have a right-wing liberal profile and was originally supposed to enter into a list connection with the MR. After Modrikamen and Aernoudt had worked out the party program together, the Parti Populaire was officially founded on November 26, 2009.

In the months that followed, the Parti Populaire tried to recruit its first members and sympathizers. Since these came mainly from the ranks of the MR, there were initial real tensions between the two parties. The Parti Populaire suffered a negative image when Modrikamen was charged with money laundering; the latter denied the allegations and dismissed the lawsuit as a purely political attack.

Shortly before the early federal elections on June 13, 2010, the Parti Populaire hit the headlines primarily because of internal disputes that ended with the expulsion of various people. A little later, these excluded former party members founded a dissidence movement called La Droite (German for "the rights").

On August 23, 2010, Rudy Aernoudt was expelled from the party after a vote by the party office. The trigger for this was Aernoudt's criticism of the only MP of the PP, Laurent Louis , who had expressed his full support for the policy of French President Nicolas Sarkozy with regard to the expulsion of Roma from France (Louis' statements would "flirt with racism" , says Aernoudt). In fact, the relationship between Modrikamen and Aernoudt had been deteriorating for some time. A few days after his expulsion from the party, Aernoudt accused Modrikamen of paying his party employees with black money , whereupon the PP filed a lawsuit against him. In addition, Aernoudt succeeded with the also excluded chairman of the young members of the PP to block the public funds that are paid to the PP through a non-profit association (VoG).

From 2014 to 2017, the PP belonged to the Alliance for Direct Democracy in Europe (ADDE) at European level , which was dominated by the British UK Independence Party and had a eurosceptic and right-wing populist orientation. In November 2017, the Belgian public prosecutor's office searched the PP's offices. The background to this was financial irregularities at ADDE, which allegedly used funds from the European Parliament inappropriately to finance national activities of its member parties and the Brexit campaign. Yasmine Dehaene , the general secretary of the PP and wife of party chairman Modrikamen, was also the executive director of the ADDE.

Content profile

The Parti Populaire presents itself as a right-wing liberal party and as an alternative to the “traditional” parties in Belgium. Modrikamen himself describes his direction as " unrestrained right" (French droite décomplexée ). The Parti Populaire defines its basic values ​​as “justice, solidarity and responsibility”. The party's main focus is on economic policy and the subject of immigration.

In business, the Parti Populaire advocates less state intervention and a simplification of tax law. To this end, she calls for the introduction of a flat tax , i.e. a single income tax rate. Unemployment benefits are to be limited in time and business development is to be promoted.

When it comes to justice and security, the Parti Populaire stands for a “zero tolerance policy”. For example, she proposes simplifying the structure and procedures of the judiciary, making more police officers visible on the street and sending criminals of foreign nationality back to their country of origin so that they can serve their sentences there.

On the subject of immigration, the Parti Populaire insists on the creation of a “Belgian pedestal” (French socle de belgitude , Dutch Belgian sokkel ) to strengthen common values ​​and a stricter treatment for the so-called Sans papiers (illegal immigrants). In terms of European policy, the PP initially positioned itself on a federal basis: European policy should be strengthened and ultimately lead to the " United States of Europe ". In the meantime, however, the party takes a eurosceptic line and called for a “ Europe of Nations ” instead of the current European Union classified as “ technocratic ”.

As regards the future of the Belgian state and the reform of the federal state structure, the Parti Populaire proposes a reduction in the number of governments (only one federal state and three regions) and ministers (7 federal ministers and 5 per region). It is also proposed to reallocate responsibilities between the federal state and the regions. The position of the Brussels-Capital Region is to be strengthened. A reform of the electoral law (from proportional representation to majority voting based on the French model), the introduction of referendums and the establishment of a nationwide constituency are also proposed.

Originally regarded as a neoliberal party, the PP has developed in the direction of national populism since 2010. Party leader Modrikamen repeatedly cited the French National Front under Marine Le Pen as a model. During the 2016 US presidential election , party leader Modrikamen declared his support for Donald Trump early on . As one of the few parties in Europe, the PP reacted positively in the summer of 2018 to the initiative of former Trump advisor Stephen Bannon to found a Europe-wide right-wing populist movement.

Party structure

Since Rudy Aernoudt was expelled, the party has been headed solely by chairman Mischaël Modrikamen. He chairs the party's political office, which is made up of the elected members of parliament (currently only Laurent Louis) and other party members who have special expertise and have been appointed by the chairman.

Mandates

As a new party, the Parti Populaire was able to exceed the 5 percent threshold ( threshold clause ) in the federal elections on June 13, 2010, a total of 1.29% of the votes at state level and only in the Walloon Brabant constituency with 5.04% of the votes from July 2010 a single member of the federal Chamber of Deputies. In January 2011, however, the Parti Populaire lost this seat after MP Laurent Louis was expelled from the party.

In the elections on May 25, 2014 , the PP received 1.5% nationwide ( Brussels-Capital Region 1.7% and Wallonia 4.5%) and has since had a member of Aldo Carcaci from Liège.

In the election on May 26, 2019 , the PP received 1.1% nationwide ( Brussels-Capital Region 1.7% and Wallonia 3.2%) and has not had any MPs since then.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Cas Mudde : The hype is the danger. In: Friday (online), August 2, 2018.
  2. ↑ a b c d Teun Pauwels: Belgium - Decline of National Populism? In: Exposing the Demagogues. Right-wing and National Populist Parties in Europe. Center for European Studies, Brussels 2013, p. 85.
  3. ↑ Elections 2019: laminé dans les urnes en mai dernier, le Parti Populaire se dissout. In: rtbf.be. June 19, 2019, accessed February 26, 2020 .
  4. ↑ Lesoir.be (archive): Modrikamen veut se lancer dans la politique (June 11, 2009) (French)
  5. ↑ Lesoir.be (archive): Modrikamen va lancer le “Parti populaire” (September 11, 2009) (French)
  6. ↑ Lesoir.be (archive): Aernoudt dans le parti de Modrikamen (October 15, 2009) (French)
  7. ↑ This was prevented due to the massive rejection of Olivier Maingain , the chairman of the FDF ; Lalibre.be: Reynders sacrifie Aernoudt (February 24, 2009) (French)
  8. ↑ Lalibre.be: Le parti populaire sur les fonts baptismaux (September 26, 2009) (French)
  9. ↑ Lesoir.be (archive): Miller: "Le PP de Modrikamen frise l'extrême droite" (February 8, 2010) (French); Lesoir.be (archive): Modrikamen: le MR a lancé une "fatwa" contre le PP (February 9, 2010) (French)
  10. ↑ Lalibre.be: Modrikamen perquisitionné et entendu par la justice (March 24, 2010) (French); Lesoir.be (archive): Modrikamen dénonce une attaque politique (March 24, 2010) (French)
  11. ↑ Lesoir.be (archive): Exclusion au PP… (April 29, 2010) (French); Lalibre.be: Deux nouvelles défections au Parti populaire (May 3, 2010) (French)
  12. ↑ Lalibre.be: Une dissidence du PP fonde La Droite (June 25, 2010) (French)
  13. ↑ Lesoir.be: Aernoudt évincé du PP: Modrikamen l'accuse d'actes "inacceptables" (23 August 2010) (French)
  14. ↑ Lesoir.be: Le coprésident du PP scandalisé par les propos de son élu sur les Roms (23 August 2010) (French)
  15. ↑ Lalibre.be: Aernoudt conteste son éviction et le "séparatisme" de Modrikamen (August 24, 2010) (French)
  16. ↑ Lesoir.be: Le PP poursuit Aernoudt en justice pour faux et calomnie (August 26, 2010) (French)
  17. ↑ Lalibre.be: Aernoudt a pris les dispositions nécessaires pour bloquer la dotation publique (August 29, 2010) (French)
  18. ↑ Johanne Montay: perquisitions au siège du Parti populaire et chez mischaël modrikamen. RTBF Info, November 14, 2017.
  19. ↑ RTL Info: Mischaël Modrikamen (PP): “Nous sommes la droite décomplexée” (video) (May 17, 2010) (French)
  20. ^ Founding manifesto of the Parti Populaire in French ( Memento of January 26th, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) and Dutch ( Memento of May 4, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) language
  21. ↑ Excerpt from the Manifesto (French / English): “L'Etat et ceux qui le servent doivent garantir l'exercice et le bénéfice de ces droits à tous et en permanentence. Néanmoins, la criminalité, petite et grande prospère en Belgique. C'est pourquoi, le Parti Populaire veut une politique de “tolérance zéro” ./ The state en deze that serve the state, the right vrijwaren voor iedereen en op een permanente wijze. Niettemin neemt de kleine en grote criminaliteit toe in België. Het is daarom dat de Personenpartij een politiek van "nultolerantie" wenst. "
  22. ↑ Excerpt from the Manifesto (French / English): “Exécution des peines à l'étranger. La règle est simple: tout condamné purge sa peine. La Belgique passe une convention avec certains pays afin que les condamnés de nationalité étrangère purgent leur peine dans ces pays, moyennant financement par la Belgique / Uitvoering van straffen in het buitenland. The rule is clear: iedere veroordeelde moet zijn punished uitzitten. België zal een overeenkomst afsluiten met een aantal landen, teneinde geveten met een buitenlandse nationaliteit toe te laten hun straf uit te zitten in hun land van herkomst. In ruil hiervoor zal België een financiële bijdrage leveren. "
  23. ↑ Excerpt from the Manifesto (French / Indian): “Au contraire, il convient d'inverser la dynamique communautariste afin de renforcer le socle de belgitude et de valeurs communes entre les différents groupes. […] Les étrangers en situation irrégulière feront systématiquement l'objet d'une reconduite aux frontières. / Integendeel, het komt ons toe het dynamic communautarisme om te keren, teneinde de Belgian sokkel en de gemeenschappelijke were reinforced van deze varnishing groepen teerken. [...] De buitenlanders die onregular op het grondgebied verblijven zullen automatically aan de borders terug. "
  24. ↑ Excerpt from the manifesto (French / English): “Le Parti Populaire défend la création des“ Etats-Unis d'Europe ”, constitués d'un noyau dur de pays membres désirant aller plus loin qu'une union économique / De People party deserves "de Verenigde Staten van Europa", seed gesteld uit een harde kern van landen die wensen verder te gaan dan een economische unie. "
  25. ↑ Excerpt from the Manifesto (French): “Nous voulons une Europe des nations indépendantes avec un retour à plus de souveraineté pour les Etats. Nous déciderons ainsi nous-mêmes de notre avenir, à la place des technocrates hors sol, déconnectés et non élus. "
  26. ^ Teun Pauwels: Populism in Western Europe. Comparing Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. Routledge, Abingdon (Oxon) / New York 2014, p. 43.
  27. ↑ Max Biederbeck: This man wants to bring Steve Bannon to Europe - the AfD should also help. In: Watson , July 28, 2018.
  28. ↑ FPS Home Affairs: Unofficial election results of the federal elections of June 13, 2010 (accessed on June 15, 2010)
  29. ^ List of MPs after the election of May 25, 2016: List