Socialistische Partij Anders

Socialist Party Differently
Socialistische Partij Anders
President John Crombez
Founded 1978
Preceded by Belgian Socialist Party
Headquarters national secretariat
Grasmarkt 105/37 Brussels
Youth wing Young Socialists
Membership (2014) Decrease 49,703[1][2]
Ideology Social democracy[3]
Political position Centre-left[4]
European affiliation Party of European Socialists
International affiliation Progressive Alliance,
Socialist International
European Parliament group Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats
Francophone counterpart Socialist Party
Colours      Red
Chamber of Representatives
(Flemish seats)
13 / 87
Senate
(Flemish seats)
5 / 35
Flemish Parliament
18 / 124
Brussels Parliament
(Flemish seats)
3 / 17
European Parliament
(Flemish seats)
1 / 12
Flemish Provincial Councils
51 / 351
Website
www.s-p-a.be

Socialist Party Differently ( Socialistische Partij Anders,[5] sp.a) is a social-democratic[6][7][8][9] Flemish political party in Belgium. The party, formerly known as the Belgische Socialistische Partij (BSP) 1978–80 and the Socialistische Partij (SP) 1980–2001, had branched off from the Belgian Socialist Party in 1978; the Belgian Socialist Party was itself formed by former members of the Belgian Labour Party. From December 2011 to September 2014, sp.a was part of the Di Rupo Government, along with its Francophone counterpart Socialist Party (PS). Sp.a has been several times part of the Flemish Government.

History

1885–1940

1940–1978

Since 1978

The party was the big winner in the 2003 election, running on the SP.A-Spirit joint list (cartel) with the social-liberal party Spirit. Their share of the vote went up from 9% (of the total Belgian vote) to almost 15%, a second place in the number of votes. The main victim of this resurgence was the Green! party (formerly known as Agalev). The sp.a was part of the "purple" federal coalitions of Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt from 12 July 1999 until 10 June 2007, which contained both the Flemish and Francophone liberal and social-democratic parties.

In 2004, the sp.a along with its partner Spirit lost the elections for the Flemish Parliament. Although they won more seats in comparison to the Flemish elections of 1999, their percentage of the vote compared to the successful 2003 federal elections was considerably down. The reputation of then party leader Steve Stevaert took a beating too.

The party was briefly led by Caroline Gennez, after former president Steve Stevaert left to become governor of Limburg. Johan Vande Lanotte, who served as Minister of the Budget in the federal Government, was elected President and resigned as minister to become President on 17 October 2005. He resigned 11 June 2007, after sp.a-Spirit lost the elections for the federal parliament of 10 June 2007.[10] In these federal elections, the cartel won 14 out of 150 seats in the Chamber of Representatives and 4 out of 40 seats in the Senate. Afterwards, Caroline Gennez was elected President by the party members.

As of May 2009, sp.a was in opposition in federal politics; and unlike its Francophone counterpart the Socialist Party (PS), sp.a was not a participant in the Leterme II Government.

In January 2009 the party had apparently changed its name to Socialisten en Progressieven Anders. This name change was however retracted, and the party baseline instead was changed from "Sociaal Progressief Alternatief" to "Socialisten en Progressieven Anders".[11]

In the 2010 federal election sp.a won 13 seats with 9% of the overall vote. The party was a member of the Di Rupo Government formed on 6 December 2011, until the elections in 2014. In the elections for the Chamber of Representatives on 25 May 2014, sp.a scored again 9% and received 13 seats, in contrast to their francophone Socialist Party counterparts, who lost 3 seats and whose share of the vote decreased by 2%. In the Flemish Parliament sp.a have 18 representatives, deriving from around 14% of the vote - this is a small reduction on the 2009 parliament, where sp.a had 19 seats, deriving from 15% of the popular vote. From 2009-2014, sp.a participated in the Flemish Government, in an uneasy coalition with the CD & V and the N-VA. From 2014 onwards, sp.a formed part of the opposition in Flanders, as the regional government reflected the Flemish component of the federal administration, consisting of coalition of the Open-VLD, CD & V and the N-VA.

Presidents

Presidents SP[12]
Period President
1978–1989 Karel Van Miert
1989–1994 Frank Vandenbroucke
1994–1998 Louis Tobback
1998–1999 Fred Erdman
1999–2001 Patrick Janssens
Presidents sp.a[12]
Period President Vice-President
2001–2003 Patrick Janssens
2003–2005 Steve Stevaert Caroline Gennez
2005 Caroline Gennez (ad interim) n/a
2005–2007 Johan Vande Lanotte Caroline Gennez
2007–2011 Caroline Gennez Dirk Van der Maelen
2011–2015 Bruno Tobback Joke Quintens
2015–... John Crombez Stephanie Van Houtven

Members holding notable public offices

European politics

European Parliament
Name Committees
Kathleen Van Brempt Industry, Research and Energy

Federal politics

Chamber of Representatives
Name Notes Name Notes
Flemish Brabant Hans Bonte Antwerp (province) Monica De Coninck
Antwerp (province) Maya Detiège Antwerp (province) David Geerts
Flemish Brabant Karine Jiroflée Limburg (Belgium) Meryame Kitir faction leader
East Flanders Fatma Pehlivan East Flanders Karin Temmerman
West Flanders Alain Top East Flanders Dirk Van der Maelen
West Flanders Johan Vande Lanotte West Flanders Ann Vanheste
Limburg (Belgium) Peter Vanvelthoven
Senate
Type Name Notes
co-opted senator Bert Anciaux faction leader
community senator Rob Beenders replacing Ingrid Lieten, who left politics
community senator Katia Segers
community senator Güler Turan
community senator Bart Van Malderen

Regional politics

Flemish Parliament
Name Notes Name Notes Name Notes
Limburg (Belgium) Rob Beenders Community Senator Antwerp (province) Jan Bertels East Flanders Kurt De Loor
Antwerp (province) Caroline Gennez West Flanders Michèle Hostekint Brussels Yamila Idrissi
Antwerp (province) Yasmine Kherbache West Flanders Renaat Landuyt mayor of Bruges Limburg (Belgium) Bert Moyaers replaces Ingrid Lieten, who left politics
Limburg (Belgium) Els Robeyns Flemish Brabant Katia Segers Community Senator West Flanders Tine Soens
Flemish Brabant Bruno Tobback Antwerp (province) Güler Turan Community Senator East Flanders Freya Van den Bossche
East Flanders Bart Van Malderen Community Senator West Flanders Steve Vandenberghe replaces John Crombez, who left parliament when he became party leader East Flanders Joris Vandenbroucke faction leader replaces Daniël Termont, who decided not to combine his mandate as mayor of Ghent with a mandate as parliamentarian
Brussels Regional Government Vervoort I
Public Office Name Function
Minister Pascal Smet Transport and public works
Parliament of the Brussels-Capital Region
Name Notes
Fouad Ahidar
Elke Roux
Jef Van Damme replaces Pascal Smet, who became minister in the Brussels Regional government

Provincial politics

Provincial Council
Province percentage seats
Antwerp 12,80%
10 / 72
Limburg 20,10%°
13 / 63
East Flanders 12,70%
9 / 72
Flemish Brabant 12,10%
8 / 72
West Flanders 15,80%
12 / 72

° In Limburg sp.a formed a cartel with Groen.

Election results

Federal Parliament

The main six Flemish political parties and their results for the Chamber of Representatives. From 1978 to 2014, in percentages for the complete 'Kingdom'.
Chamber of Representatives (Kamer van Volksvertegenwoordigers)
Election year # of
overall votes		 % of
overall vote		 % of language
group vote		 # of
overall seats won		 # of language
group seats won		 +/– Government
1981 744,593 12.4
26 / 212
 in opposition
1985 882,200 14.6
32 / 212
 Increase 6 in opposition
1987 915,432 14.9
32 / 212
 Steady 0 in coalition
1991 737,976 12.0
28 / 212
 Decrease 4 in coalition
1995 762,444 12.6
20 / 150
20 / 91
 Decrease 8 in coalition
1999 593,372 9.5
14 / 150
14 / 88
 Decrease 6 in coalition
2003 * 979,750 14.9 24.9
23 / 150
23 / 88
 Increase 9 in coalition
2007 684,390 10.3 16.3
14 / 150
14 / 88
 Decrease 9 in opposition
2010 602,867 9.24 14.6
13 / 150
13 / 88
 Decrease 1 in coalition
2014 595,190 8.85
13 / 150
13 / 87
 Steady 0 in opposition
Senate (Senaat)
Election year # of
overall votes		 % of
overall vote		 % of language
group vote		 # of
overall seats won		 # of language
group seats won		 +/–
1981 732,126 12.3 13
1985 868,624 14.5 16 Increase 3
1987 896,294 14.7 17 Increase 1
1991 730,274 11.9 14 Decrease 3
1995 792,941 13.2
6 / 40
6 / 25
 Decrease 8
1999 550,657 8.9
4 / 40
4 / 25
 Decrease 2
2003 * 1,013,560 15.5 24.9 (#1)
7 / 40
7 / 25
 Increase 3
2007 665,342 10.0 16.2
4 / 40
4 / 25
 Decrease 3
2010 613,079 9.5 15.3
4 / 40
4 / 25
 Steady 0
2014 N/A N/A N/A

Regional parliaments

Brussels Parliament

Election year # of
overall votes		 % of
overall vote		 % of language
group vote		 # of
overall seats won		 # of language
group seats won		 +/– Government
1995 9,987 2.4
2 / 75
1999 13,223 3.1
2 / 75
 Steady 0
In cartel with Agalev
2004 11,052 17.7 (#3)
3 / 89
3 / 17
 Increase 1 in coalition
In cartel with Spirit
2009 10,085 19.5 (#2)
4 / 89
4 / 17
 Increase 1 in opposition
2014 10,450 19.54 (#2)
3 / 89
3 / 17
 Decrease 1 in opposition

Flemish Parliament

Election year # of
overall votes		 % of
overall vote		 % of language
group vote		 # of
overall seats won		 # of language
group seats won		 +/– Government
1995 733,703 19.45 (#3)
25 / 124
 in coalition
1999 582,419 15.00 (#4)
19 / 124
 Decrease 6 in coalition
2004 799,325 19.66 (#4)
22 / 124
 Increase 3 in coalition
In cartel with Spirit; 25 seats won by SP.A/Spirit
2009 627,852 15.27 (#3)
19 / 124
 Decrease 3 in coalition
2014 587,903 13.99 (#4)
18 / 124
 Decrease 1 in opposition

European Parliament

Election year # of
overall votes		 % of
overall vote		 % of electoral
college vote		 # of
overall seats won		 # of electoral
college seats won		 +/–
1979 698,889 12.84 20.90
3 / 24
3 / 13
1984 979,702 17.12 28.13
4 / 24
4 / 13
 Increase 1
1989 733,242 12.43 20.04
3 / 24
3 / 13
 Decrease 1
1994 651,371 10.92 17.63
3 / 25
3 / 13
 Steady
1999 550,237 8.84 14.21
2 / 25
2 / 14
 Decrease 1
2004 716,317 11.04 17.83
3 / 24
3 / 14
 Increase 1
In cartel with Spirit
2009 539,393 8.22 13.23
2 / 22
2 / 13
 Decrease 1
2014 555,354 8.33 13.18
1 / 21
1 / 12
 Decrease 1

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ "Open VLD heeft de meeste leden en steekt CD&V voorbij". deredactie.be. 30 October 2014.
  2. ↑ "Open Vld telt meeste leden". De Morgen. 30 October 2014.
  3. ↑ Parties and Elections in Europe: The database about parliamentary elections and political parties in Europe, by Wolfram Nordsieck
  4. ↑ Josep M. Colomer (24 July 2008). Comparative European Politics. Taylor & Francis. p. 220. ISBN 978-0-203-94609-1. Retrieved 13 July 2013.
  5. ↑ Dutch pronunciation: [soːʃaː'lɪstisə pɑrˈtɛi̯ ˈɑndərs]
  6. ↑ Hans Slomp (30 September 2011). Europe, A Political Profile: An American Companion to European Politics: An American Companion to European Politics. ABC-CLIO. p. 465. ISBN 978-0-313-39182-8. Retrieved 23 August 2012.
  7. ↑ Dimitri Almeida (27 April 2012). The Impact of European Integration on Political Parties: Beyond the Permissive Consensus. CRC Press. p. 71. ISBN 978-1-136-34039-0. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
  8. ↑ Ari-Veikko Anttiroiko; Matti Mälkiä (2007). Encyclopedia of Digital Government. Idea Group Inc (IGI). p. 397. ISBN 978-1-59140-790-4. Retrieved 18 July 2013.
  9. ↑ Cas Mudde; Cristóbal Rovira Kaltwasser (28 May 2012). Populism in Europe and the Americas: Threat Or Corrective for Democracy?. Cambridge University Press. p. 27. ISBN 978-1-107-02385-7. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
  10. ↑ "Vande Lanotte gooit handdoek in de ring" (in Dutch). VRT. 11 June 2007. Retrieved 12 June 2007.
  11. ↑ Naam van sp.a verandert niet, begeleidende slogan wel (Sp.a name doesn't change, baseline does), GvA, 17 January 2009
  12. 1 2 "sp.a partijvoorzitters". Tijdslijn.s-p-a.be. Retrieved 19 June 2010.

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