People's Union (Belgium)
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Volksunie (People's Union, VU) was a Belgian political party, formed in 1954 as a successor to the "Christian Flemish People's Union", an electoral alliance of Flemish nationalists.
The party initially proved successful and had members elected to the Chamber of Representatives (five) and the Senate (two) of the Belgian Federal Parliament in 1961. The party continued to grow in stature and reached the 11.0% at the national level in 1978 elections, gaining 21 representatives. Generally, however, the Volksunie preferred to position itself around the centre and saw itself as a coalition of various shades of Flemish thought.
The acceptance of federalism in place of separatism by VU in the 1970s did not sit well with the party's right-wing and a split became inevitable, particularly after the party entered the coalition government of Leo Tindemans (CVP, Christian-Democrat). The right-wing organized itself in the Vlaams Blok, which became a much stronger political force and surpassed Volksunie at the beginning of the Nineties (6.6% against VU's 5.9% in 1991 elections).
Volksunie continued its decline (5.6% in 1999 elections against the 9.9% of the Blok), while the left-right struggle re-emerged in 2001, and finally the party split into the New-Flemish Alliance (the right-wing) and Spirit (the left-wing). Both parties since are participating in federal and regional elections as part of a cartel, the New-Flemish Alliance forming an alliance with CD&V, and Spirit with the SP.a.
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