History and Government Faculty Presentations
Document Type
Conference Proceeding
Event Date
4-2-2013
Conference/Event
International Studies Association Annual Convention
Location
San Francisco, CA
Abstract
The proliferation of nationalist political parties in the developed world continues to challenge the integrity of some of the world’s most stable democracies. In Canada and Belgium, both countries have experienced the challenge of nationalist parties in the province of Quebec and region of Flanders respectively. However, in both cases, there are now at least two nationalist political parties that both support the idea of independence for both Quebec and Flanders. This nationalist party “diffusion” further challenges the integrity of the Canadian and Belgian states.
The Parti Quebecois has served as the main sponsor of nationalism in the province of Quebec. However, another nationalist party, Quebec solidaire, has also recently begun to win support in the National Assembly. Vlaams Belang (VB) has played a similar role in trying to obtain independence for Flanders. However, Nieuw-Vlaamse Alliantie (N-VA) also recently adopted the platform of independence and recently won the most votes (and seats) in the 2010 Belgian general election. This diffusion of nationalist parties has caused strains on the respective governments of Canada and Belgium respectively. In both cases this has not yet resulted in secession or the dissolution of the state, but challenges remain to the unity of both states.
Keywords
Quebec, Flanders, nationalism
Recommended Citation
Duerr, Glen M.E., "Compounding the Policy Platform of Independence: Nationalist Party “Diffusion” in Quebec and Flanders" (2013). History and Government Faculty Presentations. 25.
https://digitalcommons.cedarville.edu/history_and_government_presentations/25
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
