Workers' Party of Belgium


The Workers' Party of Belgium is a political party in Belgium that operates as a single Belgian party, in contrast to all other major Belgian political parties, which are either Flemish, Francophone or local.
The PTB-PVDA used to host the International Communist Seminar until 2014 which had become one of the main worldwide gatherings of communist parties.
PTB-PVDA has traditionally been a small party, but since the mid-2010s has gained momentum and increasing popularity at the polls and elections.

History

The Workers' Party of Belgium originated in the student movement at the end of the 1960s. Radicalized students, mainly from the Catholic University of Leuven, turned towards the working-class movement. They considered the politics of the existing Communist Party of Belgium revisionist, i.e. too much turned toward social-democratic politics. They were influenced by the ideas of the Communist Party of China, guerrilla movements in Latin America, the movement against the Vietnam War, and the Leuven-Vlaams movement, all perceived as aspects of a worldwide struggle against colonial or neo-colonial oppression and for civil or workers' rights.
Their support and participation in an important strike in the coalmines turned the movement into a political party. They founded a periodical, AMADA, which became the first name of their party. In 1979 the first congress was held, which adopted a Maoist programme and changed the name into PVDA-PTB. Ludo Martens became the first president, and remained an important ideologist of the party until his death in 2011.

Recent developments

Following its electoral defeat in 2003, the PVDA-PTB fundamentally changed its working methods and communication. On one hand, the PVDA-PTB said it would refocus on working with factory workers as well as on field work in the communities where it operates. On the other hand, the PVDA-PTB said it would officially break with what it calls its sectarian past to get closer to the concrete demands of citizens. This is reflected particularly by the demands put forward on very concrete issues, e.g. lower prices for medication, the reduction of VAT on energy products from 21% to 6%, an increase of the minimum pension, better control of rents or the lower cost of trash bags.
In preparation for the Belgian elections of June 2007, the Solidarity newspaper and the website of the party were merged in order to reach a wider public. The structures have also been "open" to a broader layer of activists.
On 2 March 2008, the work of the Eighth Congress of the PVDA-PTB was completed with a closing meeting at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. This Congress was conducted with the theme of "party renewal." A new Central Committee was elected, which in turn elected a new Bureau of the Party. It consists of:
in Brussels, 2008
This 'shift' seems to have produced some positive results, such as an increase in membership and a rebound of the electoral score of the PVDA-PTB in recent elections. The last elections in May 2019 showed more progress: a breakthrough was realised at the Flemish and European level. Since 2018 the party is also represented in the municipal councils of larger cities in Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels.
In September 2014 the party had more than 8,000 members, in 2020 the number had grown to 20,000. Its monthly publication "Solidarity / Solidarity" has between 3,000 and 5,000 subscribers. COMAC, its youth movement, is active in all the universities in Belgium and in secondary schools. The PVDA-PTB is also known for its 11 Medicine for the people medical centres, which provide free access to primary health care.
The newspaper Solidarity, and Medicine for the People'' organize "ManiFiesta", a yearly festival of solidarity between the communities and the left in Belgium. The first edition was held in Bredene on 25 September 2010 and brought together 6,000 people from both North and South of Belgium. The fourth edition in 2013 attracted 10,000 people.

Controversies

Stalinism

The PTB continues to be perceived as Stalinist, in relation to the Stalin hagiography written by its past-president Ludo Martens. Current president Peter Mertens tries to get his party out of this deep-rooted paradigm.

Party of the Automobile

Despite its recent conversion to ecology, local WPB sections oppose any restriction related to private car use, what has led to the nickname Party of the Automobile :
The general elections of 2007 saw the party obtaining 0.88% in the Flemish electoral district and 0.81% in Wallonia.
In the regional elections in 2009 the PVDA-PTB gained 1.04% of the vote in Flanders and 1.24% of the vote in Wallonia. For the European elections on the same day the results were: 0.98% in the Dutch-speaking electoral college and 1.16% in the French-speaking electoral college.
In the general elections of June 2010 the party saw further growth. In Flanders it now represents 1.3% of the votes for the Chamber of Representatives and 1.4% for the Senate. Especially in the cities progress was noted with high scores in Antwerp and Liège. The highest scores were gained in the cantons of Herstal, Assenede and Seraing ; all places where the PVDA-PTB traditionally is strong.
The municipal and provincial elections in 2012 were considered a breakthrough on a local level for the PVDA-PTB. The party won 52 seats in total; 31 in municipal councils, 4 in provincial councils, and 17 in the district councils.
The federal and regional elections in 2014 saw further success for the party. They elected two deputies to the Chamber of Representatives, two others to the Walloon Parliament, and finally four to the Brussels Parliament.
An opinion poll released in July 2017 suggested the party was the most popular party in Wallonia at the time, with 25% of respondents indicating they intended to vote for the party. The second-most popular party was the Mouvement Réformateur, part of the governing coalition, with 23%. The poll indicated that the Workers' Party would win 26 seats in the Belgian Chamber of Representatives if the next federal election were held immediately, putting it in tied first place with the Flemish N-VA.
The party generally increased its vote share in the 2018 local elections, and won over 15% of the vote in several French-speaking cities.
In the 2019 Belgian federal election, the party scored well and gained 10 seats. The party did well in Wallonia, scoring over 16% in Liège Province, over 15% in Hainaut Province, and also over 12% in Brussels-Capital Region. It achieved at least 22% of the votes in both Charleroi and La Louvière cities. Its strongest showing in Flanders was 12.71% in Antwerp city. The PTB was also the fourth largest party in the European election the same day in the Francophone areas, winning 14.59% and giving it one seat.

Federal Parliament

Regional parliaments

Brussels Parliament

Flemish Parliament

Walloon Parliament

European Parliament

Elected politicians

European deputies
  1. Marc Botenga
Federal deputies
  1. Nabil Boukili
  2. Gaby Colebunders
  3. Roberto D'Amico
  4. Greet Daems
  5. Steven De Vuyst
  6. Raoul Hedebouw
  7. Sofie Merckx
  8. Peter Mertens
  9. Nadia Moscufo
  10. Marco Van Hees
  11. Maria Vindevoghel
  12. Thierry Warmoes
Regional deputies
  1. Jan Busselen
  2. Francis Dagrin
  3. Caroline De Bock
  4. Françoise De Smedt
  5. Elisa Groppi
  6. Youssef Handichi
  7. Jean-Pierre Kerckhofs
  8. Stéphanie Koplowicz
  9. Leila Lahssaini
  10. Petya Obolensky
  11. Luc Vancauwenberghe
  1. Jos D'Haese
  2. Tom De Meester
  3. Kim De Witte
  4. Lise Vandecasteele
  1. Alice Bernard
  2. John Beugnies
  3. Jori Dupont
  4. Antoine Hermant
  5. Laure Lekane
  6. Julien Liradelfo
  7. Germain Mugemangango
  8. Samuel Nemes
  9. Amandine Pavet
  10. Anouk Vandevoorde
Provincial councilors
  1. Catharina Craen
  2. Giovanni Dell'Area
  3. Marc Delrez
  4. Catherine Lacomble
  5. Luc Navet
  6. Rafik Rassâa
  7. Marie-Christine Scheen
  8. Rudy Sohier
  9. Luc Vandenameele
  10. Patricia Van Muylder