886:"After being asked whether his increasing closeness to Jews and Israel is a tactical move, he responds: "This is perhaps not proof, but this will explain to you a bit who I am. Many people think I come from a family of collaborators, but I do not. My father was a young medical student during the war. His studies were interrupted during the war and he was due to be taken to forced labor in Germany. But he fled from the Germans and managed to elude them for several months. They caught him, threw him in prison and ultimately sent him to do forced labor. I saw pictures of him when he returned from the war. He had nothing and he was sick. He never became a doctor and his career was ruined. My grandfather was also a member of the Resistance. He fought against the Germans as a police officer".
33:
591:. Not at all. I understand that this is hard to understand as a Jew. I respect very much that Jews have a problem with this. But Jews must also understand that this is not as simple as it seems. Not all of the collaborators wanted to kill the Jews in Europe. Most of the collaborators had other motives. I think that if they were living today, most of them would be ashamed of what happened to the Jews. The only thing I can do today is to say that I respect very much the suffering of the
1253:
702:
1241:
364:, in which he formed a political faction with Gerolf Annemans (who, earlier that year, had succeeded to founder-Flemish Block president Karel Dillen). Under Dewinter's leadership, the parliamentary group continued to grow, notably in 1991, when the Flemish Block, from a small party, grew to about 12% of the voters. This growth has continued ever since.
555:
because the Church called upon them to go out and fight the
Communists—something that Western Europe continued to do for 50 years. Now, in 2005, it is easy to say: 'The collaboration was a mistake.' The collaboration did not help our country at all; we just became a vassal state of Germany. At the time, it was logical, because of the
484:, wanted to render respect and flower the graves of the 38 Flemish SS collaborators who fought for Nazi Germany and embraced fascist Nazi ideology. The Belgian police forces stopped the small rally and pushed them back; only holders of German citizenship were allowed to enter the cemetery. During a debate in 1992 at the
367:
In 1988, he also became a City councilman in
Antwerp. When the Flemish Parliament and the Belgian Parliament got elected separately in 1995, he chose to be a member of the Flemish Parliament (which deals with a lot of regional matters). His hard statements on especially foreign migration provided for
554:
Many
Flemish nationalists collaborated during the war because they thought—and now it is clear that they were wrong—that this would help them achieve independence for Flanders. This is the whole story. The overwhelming majority were not Nazis. They collaborated in order to attain independence and
586:
He is one of the historic leaders of the party. This is part of the history of the
Flemish nationalist movement and it is impossible to deny this. We are the descendants of this movement. Some of the members of the party attend these events because they want to honor the heritage of the Flemish
686:
readers to understand, most collaborators thought that they could realise an independent
Flanders by cooperating with the Germans. Most of them are ashamed of the horror they caused. The only thing I can do today is to show understanding for the suffering of the Jewish
515:
Filip
Dewinter was the guest speaker for a gathering of the former SS-collaborators of Sint-Maartensfonds which took place on 1 December 2001. That evening, Filip Dewinter opened his speech with the words
610:
included a question if "Jews should vote for a party that espouses xenophobia". Dewinter responded by saying: "Xenophobia is not the word I would use. If it absolutely must be a 'phobia,' let it be '
595:, to express my sympathy and condolences about what happened and to try to move far away from this. But the Jewish people must understand that not every collaborator was necessarily anti-Semitic.
361:
671:" turn themselves into self pity. They become hostile, they cause nuisance and show criminal behaviour. In Flanders the multicultural society led to a multicriminal society."
1184:
250:, when he had to hide, as the threat of being deported by the Germans increased. He was nevertheless arrested and already after a few months of imprisonment in
1009:
Christophe
Diercxsens (2007). "The Double Face of Flemish Extreme Right: Public Propaganda vs. the Real Soul of Vlaams Belang". Catholic University of Leuven.
416:
An extreme right-wing activist is sentenced to five years in prison in 2014 for planning the murder of Filip
Dewinter, hoping to drag Belgium into civil war.
825:
family origins. Later on, Dewinter confirmed the resistance of his grandfather and the deportation of his father, including to the
Flemish Jewish magazine
719:
726:
857:
916:
368:
victories in the elections of 1999 and 2003 for the
Flemish Parliament. Dewinter was, together with Gerolf Annemans, the author of the notorious '
868:(Flemish National Union) and hence bound by the choice of this political party to collaborate with the Germans during the occupation of Belgium.
1045:
898:
1158:
864:
with Etienne Vermeersch, he countered this philosopher on this subject and reminded him of his own father, who had been a member of the
952:
460:
934:
1337:
1327:
710:
142:
480:
where 40,000 bodies of Nazi Germany Wehrmacht soldiers of WWII were buried. He and other members of his party, notably neo-Nazi
1094:
1077:
837:
777:
615:
749:
305:
1257:
614:.'" This statement, as well as the Blok's condemnation for racism, have weighted heavily on the French-speaking Belgian
419:
In October 2022, Dewinter was physically assaulted by a left-wing activist while giving a talk at a community centre in
258:
to work in a munitions factory. He returned, after the war, sick and emaciated and unable to take up his studies again.
77:
756:
1312:
1280:
978:
796:
682:, is the continuator of this movement. We may not deny this past. Although I realise that it might be difficult for
1332:
1317:
646:
says: Our own people first!! And yes, Vlaams Blok chooses a Flemish Flanders. And yes, Vlaams Blok chooses a white
304:
but dropped out at the end of his first year. At university he became a member of the Nationalist Student Society (
1245:
763:
243:
155:
817:
With the view of harming the image of Dewinter in the eyes of part of his electorate, the Flemish newspaper
1110:
745:
395:
854:
1342:
380:
1322:
623:
477:
448:
website revealed that Filip Dewinter had worked for several years as a "senior political advisor" for
1027:
488:, Filip Dewinter mentioned some persons as his friends. Most of these persons were in the ranks of
618:
as well as other francophone and Flemish parties for them to become part of an appeal against the
715:
369:
1307:
1051:
878:
865:
572:
568:
1162:
1014:
485:
428:
301:
770:
455:
One month later it was revealed that Filip Dewinter was also involved in the then uncovered
1302:
324:
8:
822:
337:
32:
456:
262:
47:
360:
party. In 1983, he became a member of Vlaams Blok. In November 1987, he was elected
505:
372:' published in the beginning of the 1990s, a policy paper consisting of 70 articles.
221:
1092:
1075:
834:
678:
is one of the historical leaders of the Flemish national movement. Our party, the
1284:
1098:
1081:
861:
841:
734:
626:, an appeal that tries to take away the government subsidy of the Vlaams Belang.
606:
556:
439:
376:
228:
729:. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced
1140:
675:
579:
501:
387:
318:
1129:
1296:
1189:
679:
630:
619:
592:
540:
497:
481:
349:
217:
137:
611:
509:
493:
270:
247:
1277:
604:
A December 2005 interview by Dewinter with the American Jewish newsweekly
308:), one of the ideological seminaries of the Vlaams Belang. He completed a
292:), that later was transformed into the Nationalist Young Students League (
288:. In 1978, as a 16-year-old, he founded the Flemish Student Action Group (
643:
578:
About the attendance of party members to ceremonies marking the death of
547:
432:
424:
277:
160:
953:"Vlaamse media: politicus Filip Dewinter jarenlang werkzaam voor China"
345:
316:) in 1985. After his studies he worked as a reporter for the newspaper
309:
213:
187:
520:" which was the official motto of the German SS-soldiers during WWII.
560:
531:
524:
444:
420:
357:
225:
56:
899:"Les yeux doux de Benyamin Nétanyahou à l'extrême droite européenne"
701:
544:
216:, journalist and commentator. He is one of the leading members of
1252:
535:
399:
297:
255:
127:
1272:
633:
conference in Brussels in the European and Flemish Parliaments.
571:, Dewinter has been interviewed by the American radio talk show
1265:
1240:
1185:"Europe's response to the Paris attacks is different this time"
683:
647:
588:
528:
406:
285:
251:
240:
197:
123:
1145:
Eigen volk eerst, een Vlaams Vlaanderen en... een blank Europa
917:"Quinze sympathisants nazis parmi les candidats Vlaams Belang"
665:
661:
654:
471:
449:
410:
391:
300:
where he began studying political and social sciences at the
489:
935:"Far-right MP assaulted by left-wing activist in Leuven"
629:
In 2007 Dewinter took part in hosting the international
379:, which some Belgian politicians saw as a break of the
265:
who had been very active in the resistance group, the
1008:
336:
As a teenager, Dewinter was briefly a member of the
1071:
1069:
276:Dewinter was already politically active during his
587:movement. This does not mean that they agree with
423:. The incident was condemned by CD&V chairman
261:Dewinter's grandfather on his mother's side was a
234:
1294:
1066:
476:On 6 November 1988, Filip Dewinter visited the
356:) which had split from the Flemish nationalist
1131:Echte gezicht van Vlaams Belang (Vlaams blok)
394:party, Dewinter formed a list cartel for the
1050:(Documentary). Belgium: RTBF. Archived from
405:In 2010, he participated in a conference in
1117:. Georgetown University. 17 September 2020.
1039:
1037:
821:(The Morning) made known Dewinter's rather
472:Flemish nationalism and Nazi collaboration
31:
797:Learn how and when to remove this message
563:. But this has no connection with Nazism.
1034:
504:or other men convicted for treason like
239:His father was studying medicine at the
78:Member of the Chamber of Representatives
1156:
1004:
1002:
1000:
657:signs her 'return to sender' contract."
438:On March 25, 2024, an investigation by
143:National Council of European Resistance
90:13 December 1987 – 21 May 1995
1295:
348:, one of the precursor parties of the
294:Nationalistisch Jong Studenten Verbond
212:(born 11 September 1962) is a Belgian
896:
997:
979:"Russian influence scandal rocks EU"
695:
599:
306:Nationalistische Studentenvereniging
210:Philip Michel Frans "Filip" Dewinter
1128:Philip Dewinter (Speaking) (1991).
1111:"Factsheet: Counter-Jihad Movement"
897:Vidal, Dominique (2 October 2018).
331:
13:
1157:Bristow, Kyle (4 September 2008).
296:). In September 1982, he moved to
282:Sint-Franciscus-Xaverius instituut
14:
1354:
1233:
1251:
1239:
700:
413:on the fight against terrorism.
362:member of the Belgian parliament
48:Member of the Flemish Parliament
1217:
1205:
1177:
1150:
1121:
1103:
1086:
650:!" (Vlaams Blok-meeting, 1991).
312:degree at the Erasmus College (
235:Family background and education
1338:Right-wing populism in Belgium
1047:The Hidden Face of Vlaams Blok
971:
945:
927:
909:
890:
871:
847:
811:
1:
727:secondary or tertiary sources
567:In addition, as noted by the
290:Vlaamse Studenten Actie Groep
1044:Jean-Claude Defossé (2004).
733:, especially if potentially
711:biography of a living person
108:Philip Michel Frans Dewinter
7:
829:, to the Israeli newspaper
731:must be removed immediately
550:during WWII he had to say:
457:Russian Influential Network
10:
1359:
1328:MEPs for Belgium 2009–2014
478:Lommel German war cemetery
375:In 2006, he was quoted in
1097:28 September 2007 at the
959:(in Dutch). 25 March 2024
636:
322:, the Antwerp edition of
203:
193:
183:
175:
167:
149:
133:
103:
98:
94:
83:
76:
64:
53:
46:
42:
30:
23:
1313:Belgian critics of Islam
840:13 February 2012 at the
691:
496:and other fascists like
466:
340:Flemish People's Party (
1333:Politicians from Bruges
1318:Counter-jihad activists
1080:16 October 2005 at the
860:7 February 2008 at the
523:Dewinter has also been
431:, and Flemish minister
254:, had been deported to
1273:Vlaams Belang web site
1256:Quotations related to
1022:Cite journal requires
725:Please help by adding
597:
573:The Political Cesspool
569:Stephen Roth Institute
565:
584:
552:
486:University of Antwerp
429:Georges-Louis Bouchez
314:Erasmus Handelsschool
302:University of Antwerp
1283:20 July 2017 at the
1248:at Wikimedia Commons
880:A little-known story
518:My Honour is loyalty
269:(White Brigade), in
198:www.filipdewinter.be
1159:"Global Politician"
823:politically correct
714:relies too much on
402:on 8 October 2006.
342:Vlaamse Volkspartij
222:Flemish nationalist
1343:Vlaams Belang MEPs
1193:. 14 November 2015
1054:on 13 January 2008
941:. 23 October 2022.
884:(28 August 2005):
263:resistance fighter
16:Belgian politician
1323:Flemish activists
1244:Media related to
1115:Bridge Initiative
923:. 2 October 2018.
807:
806:
799:
781:
660:"He who sows the
653:"She who wears a
600:Judaism and Islam
506:Cyriel Verschaeve
442:magazine and the
207:
206:
171:Lutgarde Verboven
118:11 September 1962
1350:
1289:
1269:
1268:
1266:Official website
1255:
1243:
1227:
1226:, 31 August 2005
1221:
1215:
1209:
1203:
1202:
1200:
1198:
1181:
1175:
1174:
1172:
1170:
1165:on 14 April 2008
1161:. Archived from
1154:
1148:
1138:
1136:
1125:
1119:
1118:
1107:
1101:
1090:
1084:
1073:
1064:
1063:
1061:
1059:
1041:
1032:
1031:
1025:
1020:
1018:
1010:
1006:
995:
994:
992:
990:
975:
969:
968:
966:
964:
949:
943:
942:
931:
925:
924:
913:
907:
906:
894:
888:
875:
869:
851:
845:
815:
802:
795:
791:
788:
782:
780:
746:"Filip Dewinter"
739:
704:
696:
624:Council of State
381:cordon sanitaire
338:national-liberal
332:Political career
121:
117:
115:
99:Personal details
88:
69:
37:Dewinter in 2019
35:
21:
20:
1358:
1357:
1353:
1352:
1351:
1349:
1348:
1347:
1293:
1292:
1287:
1285:Wayback Machine
1264:
1263:
1236:
1231:
1230:
1222:
1218:
1210:
1206:
1196:
1194:
1183:
1182:
1178:
1168:
1166:
1155:
1151:
1134:
1127:
1126:
1122:
1109:
1108:
1104:
1099:Wayback Machine
1091:
1087:
1082:Wayback Machine
1074:
1067:
1057:
1055:
1043:
1042:
1035:
1023:
1021:
1012:
1011:
1007:
998:
988:
986:
985:. 29 March 2024
977:
976:
972:
962:
960:
951:
950:
946:
933:
932:
928:
915:
914:
910:
895:
891:
876:
872:
862:Wayback Machine
852:
848:
842:Wayback Machine
833:and on his own
816:
812:
803:
792:
786:
783:
740:
738:
724:
720:primary sources
705:
694:
639:
616:Socialist Party
607:The Jewish Week
602:
474:
469:
461:Voice of Europe
377:Bye-bye Belgium
334:
237:
229:political party
220:, a right-wing
159:
151:
150:Other political
141:
134:Political party
122:
119:
113:
111:
110:
109:
89:
84:
71:
65:
60:
38:
26:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1356:
1346:
1345:
1340:
1335:
1330:
1325:
1320:
1315:
1310:
1305:
1291:
1290:
1278:resistances.be
1275:
1270:
1261:
1258:Filip Dewinter
1249:
1246:Filip Dewinter
1235:
1234:External links
1232:
1229:
1228:
1216:
1214:, 16 June 2005
1204:
1176:
1149:
1120:
1102:
1085:
1065:
1033:
1024:|journal=
996:
970:
944:
926:
908:
889:
877:Adi Schwartz,
870:
846:
809:
808:
805:
804:
708:
706:
699:
693:
690:
689:
688:
676:Staf de Clercq
672:
669:
658:
651:
638:
635:
601:
598:
582:he responded:
580:Staf De Clercq
502:Staf De Clercq
473:
470:
468:
465:
427:, MR chairman
396:city elections
388:Hugo Coveliers
386:Together with
333:
330:
319:De Nieuwe Gids
236:
233:
205:
204:
201:
200:
195:
191:
190:
185:
181:
180:
177:
173:
172:
169:
165:
164:
153:
147:
146:
145:(2017–present)
140:(2004–present)
135:
131:
130:
107:
105:
101:
100:
96:
95:
92:
91:
81:
80:
74:
73:
67:Assumed office
62:
61:
54:
51:
50:
44:
43:
40:
39:
36:
28:
27:
25:Filip Dewinter
24:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1355:
1344:
1341:
1339:
1336:
1334:
1331:
1329:
1326:
1324:
1321:
1319:
1316:
1314:
1311:
1309:
1308:Living people
1306:
1304:
1301:
1300:
1298:
1286:
1282:
1279:
1276:
1274:
1271:
1267:
1262:
1259:
1254:
1250:
1247:
1242:
1238:
1237:
1225:
1220:
1213:
1208:
1192:
1191:
1190:The Economist
1186:
1180:
1164:
1160:
1153:
1146:
1142:
1133:
1132:
1124:
1116:
1112:
1106:
1100:
1096:
1093:
1089:
1083:
1079:
1076:
1072:
1070:
1053:
1049:
1048:
1040:
1038:
1029:
1016:
1005:
1003:
1001:
984:
980:
974:
958:
954:
948:
940:
936:
930:
922:
918:
912:
904:
900:
893:
887:
883:
881:
874:
867:
863:
859:
856:
850:
843:
839:
836:
832:
828:
827:Joods Actueel
824:
820:
814:
810:
801:
798:
790:
787:February 2007
779:
776:
772:
769:
765:
762:
758:
755:
751:
748: –
747:
743:
742:Find sources:
736:
732:
728:
722:
721:
717:
712:
707:
703:
698:
697:
685:
681:
680:Vlaams Belang
677:
673:
670:
667:
663:
659:
656:
652:
649:
645:
641:
640:
634:
632:
631:counter-jihad
627:
625:
621:
620:Vlaams Belang
617:
613:
609:
608:
596:
594:
593:Jewish people
590:
583:
581:
576:
574:
570:
564:
562:
559:, because of
558:
551:
549:
546:
542:
541:collaboration
538:
537:
533:
530:
526:
521:
519:
513:
511:
507:
503:
499:
498:Bert Eriksson
495:
491:
487:
483:
482:Bert Eriksson
479:
464:
462:
458:
453:
451:
447:
446:
441:
436:
435:of the N-VA.
434:
430:
426:
422:
417:
414:
412:
409:organised by
408:
403:
401:
397:
393:
389:
384:
382:
378:
373:
371:
370:70-puntenplan
365:
363:
359:
355:
351:
350:Flemish Block
347:
344:) founded by
343:
339:
329:
328:
326:
321:
320:
315:
311:
307:
303:
299:
295:
291:
287:
283:
280:years at the
279:
274:
272:
268:
267:Witte Brigade
264:
259:
257:
253:
249:
245:
242:
232:
230:
227:
223:
219:
218:Vlaams Belang
215:
211:
202:
199:
196:
192:
189:
186:
182:
178:
174:
170:
166:
162:
157:
154:
148:
144:
139:
138:Vlaams Belang
136:
132:
129:
125:
120:(age 62)
106:
102:
97:
93:
87:
82:
79:
75:
68:
63:
59:
58:
52:
49:
45:
41:
34:
29:
22:
19:
1260:at Wikiquote
1223:
1219:
1211:
1207:
1195:. Retrieved
1188:
1179:
1167:. Retrieved
1163:the original
1152:
1144:
1139:Original in
1130:
1123:
1114:
1105:
1088:
1056:. Retrieved
1052:the original
1046:
1015:cite journal
987:. Retrieved
982:
973:
961:. Retrieved
956:
947:
938:
929:
920:
911:
902:
892:
885:
879:
873:
849:
830:
826:
818:
813:
793:
784:
774:
767:
760:
753:
741:
730:
713:
628:
612:Islamophobia
605:
603:
585:
577:
566:
553:
548:nationalists
539:. About the
534:
522:
517:
514:
510:August Borms
494:anti Semites
475:
454:
443:
437:
418:
415:
404:
385:
374:
366:
353:
341:
335:
323:
317:
313:
293:
289:
281:
275:
271:Blankenberge
266:
260:
248:World War II
238:
226:secessionist
209:
208:
152:affiliations
85:
66:
55:
18:
1303:1962 births
1288:(in French)
1197:17 November
737:or harmful.
644:Vlaams Blok
525:interviewed
433:Zuhal Demir
425:Sammy Mahdi
354:Vlaams Blok
278:high school
163:(1983–2004)
161:Vlaams Blok
158:(1978–1983)
72:21 May 1995
1297:Categories
1169:4 February
1137:. Belgium.
1058:29 January
903:Orient XXI
882:in Haaretz
757:newspapers
716:references
664:reaps the
346:Lode Claes
310:journalist
244:University
214:politician
188:Politician
184:Occupation
114:1962-09-11
1135:(youtube)
921:RTBF Info
855:interview
819:De Morgen
561:communism
421:Kessel-Lo
358:Volksunie
86:In office
57:Incumbent
1281:Archived
1224:Ha'aretz
1095:Archived
1078:Archived
989:18 April
983:POLITICO
963:26 March
858:Archived
838:Archived
835:web site
735:libelous
687:people."
325:Het Volk
176:Children
831:Haaretz
771:scholar
622:at the
545:Flemish
536:Haaretz
529:Israeli
527:by the
400:Antwerp
390:of the
298:Antwerp
256:Germany
246:during
194:Website
128:Belgium
957:nos.nl
939:vrt.be
853:In an
773:
766:
759:
752:
744:
684:Jewish
648:Europe
637:Quotes
589:Nazism
557:Church
445:Apache
407:Israel
286:Bruges
252:Bruges
241:Leuven
168:Spouse
124:Bruges
1212:Metro
1141:Dutch
778:JSTOR
764:books
709:This
692:Notes
666:jihad
662:Koran
655:hijab
532:paper
490:Nazis
467:Views
450:China
411:Likud
392:VLOTT
70:
1199:2015
1171:2009
1060:2009
1028:help
991:2024
965:2024
750:news
440:Humo
224:and
104:Born
866:VNV
718:to
543:of
508:or
463:".
398:of
284:in
156:VVP
1299::
1187:.
1143::
1113:.
1068:^
1036:^
1019::
1017:}}
1013:{{
999:^
981:.
955:.
937:.
919:.
901:.
668:".
575:.
512:.
500:,
492:,
452:.
383:.
273:.
231:.
126:,
116:)
1201:.
1173:.
1147:.
1062:.
1030:)
1026:(
993:.
967:.
905:.
844:.
800:)
794:(
789:)
785:(
775:·
768:·
761:·
754:·
723:.
674:"
642:"
516:"
459:"
352:(
327:.
179:3
112:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.