Antwerp. Flickr/ Fred Romero. Some rights reserved.In recent years many commentators have pointed out the rise of separatist parties in much of Europe. This is clear in Catalonia where, after having organised an unrecognised independence referendum in October last year, pro-independence forces have again won a majority of seats in the regional Parliament at the December 2017 elections.
But this phenomenon is not limited to Catalonia. In Scotland, the Scottish National Party (SNP) has been in power for the last decade and in September 2014 managed to organise an independence referendum. Although the Unionist side won that vote, the possibility of an ‘indyref2’ has been revived by Brexit and, while a wait and see attitude concerning the result of the negotiations with the EU seems so far to prevail, it remains an option on the table.
In Belgium, the most voted for party at the last two elections (2010 and 2014) has been the Flemish nationalist Nieuw-Vlaamse Alliantie (New Flemish Alliance), which officially strives for the independence of Flanders and currently leads the federal coalition in government in Brussels.
