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Flemish Liberals And DemocratsThe Vlaamse Liberalen en Democraten or VLD (Flemish Liberals and Democrats) is a Flemish liberal party, created in 1992 from the former PVV and a few other politicians from other parties. The party is in government since 1999. The federal government since June 2003 is with the cartel SP.a-Spirit, PS and liberal MR. In the Flemish parliament the VLD formed a cabinet with SP.a-Spirit and the environmentalists of Groen!. Ideologically, the VLD started as a somewhat Thatcherite right-wing party under its founder, Guy Verhofstadt. The VLD rapidly became a more mainstream party, after being reformed, endorsing the solidarity principle that is one of the corner-stones of the continental West-European states. From 2000 to 2004, under the second period of participation in the Belgian federal government and under Belgian prime-minister Guy Verhofstadt, the VLD lost most of its ideologic appeal. Several of its thinkers as prof. Boudewijn Bouckaert, president of Nova Civitas heavily criticised the party. Many other resent its priority for the 'Belgian compromise', whereby the Walloon socialist PS ended up dominating Belgian policy. In 2004 the VLD teamed up with the politically marginal social liberal Vivant party for the Flemish and European elections. VLD-Vivant lost the elections to arch rivals CD&V and Vlaams Blok. The VLD fell from second to third place among Flemish political parties, narrowly leaving behind the SP.a-Spirit cartel. Internal feuds, the support for electoral rights for immigrants and a unsuccessful economic policy were seen as the main reasons for its election defeat. On the 19th of June 2004 the VLD successfully negotiated a regional coalition government with CD&V/N-VA, the Christian democrats and moderate nationalists, and with the social democratic SP.a-Spirit. In a federal cabinet reshuffle in July of 2004, VLD chairman Karel De Gucht replaced Louis Michel MR as minister for Foreign Affairs. Former Flemish prime minister Bart Somers is the new party chairman. Europe The party is fairly pro-European, and is member of the fraction of European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party (ELDR), with three seats in the European Parliament. Federal VLD prime minister Guy Verhofstadt was rejected as a candidates for the presidency of the European Commission in June of 2004. International The party is a member of the Liberal International, which is co-chaired by Annemie Neyts, member of the VLD. Notable members See also External links
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