The Vlaamse Volksbeweging (, "Flemish People's Movement") or VVB is a part-independent

Flemish Flemish may refer to: * Flemish, adjective for Flanders, Belgium * Flemish region, one of the three regions of Belgium *Flemish Community, one of the three constitutionally defined language communities of Belgium * Flemish dialects, a Dutch dialec ...

-minded non-profit association. Since 1991, the VVB has been campaigning for the independence of Flanders and therefore belongs to the Flemish-nationalist movement within the

Flemish Movement The Flemish Movement (, ) is an umbrella term which encompasses various political groups in the Belgium, Belgian region of Flanders and, less commonly, in French Flanders. Ideologically, it encompasses groups which have sought to promote Flemis ...

. The VVB maintains good contacts with most Flemish political parties. Its members come from all over the political spectrum. There are close structural ties with the Language Action Committee (T.A.K.) and the Flemish Committee for Brussels. The VVB was founded in 1956 as an independent and pluralistic pressure group chaired by

Maurits Coppieters Maurits Coppieters (14 May 1920 – 11 November 2005), Flemish politician for the Volksunie, member of the Belgian Chamber (1965–1971), the Belgian Senate (1971–1979) and the European Parliament The European Parliament (EP) is one of ...

, a notorious politician and

anti-fascist Anti-fascism is a political movement in opposition to fascist ideologies, groups and individuals. Beginning in European countries in the 1920s, it was at its most significant shortly before and during World War II, where the Axis powers were op ...

Flemish nationalist. At a VVB congress in 1962, then-political secretary

Wilfried Martens Wilfried Achiel Emma Martens (; 19 April 1936 – 9 October 2013) was a Belgian politician who served as prime minister of Belgium from 1979 to 1981 and from 1981 to 1992. A member of the Flemish Christian Democratic and Flemish, Christian People ...

launched the idea of unionist federalism for then-unitary Belgium. The VVB is one of the bigger social-cultural associations in Flanders. The Flemish People's Movement has a large number of local departments, a monthly magazine Onaf and specific workgroups. The VVB is officially recognised and therefore also subsidised by the Flemish Community as a socio-cultural association. Its goal is as follows: "The VVB aims to develop Flanders into an independent state through Dutch socio-cultural education work for adults. This includes studying all possible questions of a social, economic, financial, cultural and political nature, which are raised in connection with the full development of Flanders, socio-cultural training in connection with these problems and the information of public opinion in this area and all activities that can promote the resolution of these problems. The VVB is not a political party, but a pressure group that stands up for the general interest of the Flemish community. The VVB endorses the ECHR". The current management rests with the board of directors, chairman Hugo Maes and director Hilde Roosens. The VVB is campaigning for Flemish independence and against the Belgian democratic deficit and the still existing discriminations against the Flemish in the Belgian institutions and in Brussels. The VVB is co-founder of EPI (European Partnership for Independence) and ICEC (International Commission of European Citizens). On 30 March 2014, the VVB organised a successful international demonstration for

self-determination Self-determination refers to a people's right to form its own political entity, and internal self-determination is the right to representative government with full suffrage. Self-determination is a cardinal principle in modern international la ...

and independence in Brussels. The annual flagging of the Tour of Flanders in which some 70 000 lion flags are distributed among the viewers is the event in which the VVB manifests itself most clearly as the promoter of a Flemish identity.

References

External links

Vlaamse Volksbeweging Official Webpage

Webpage of ICEC

Webpage of EPI
{{Authority control Politics of Belgium Think tanks based in Belgium Flemish Movement