Six Belgians of Moroccan Descent Enter Belgian Parliament

Six Belgian nationals of Moroccan origin were elected to the House of Representatives in Belgium during the federal, regional and European elections held May 26.

The newly-elected MPs are Zakia Khattabi, co-president of the French-speaking Greens party (Ecolo), Ahmed Laaouej, president of the French-speaking socialist group, Meriam Kitir, president of the Flemish socialist group, Nabil Boukili of the Belgian Labor Party, Nahima Lanjri and Nawal Farih of the Flemish Christian Democratic Party (CD&V).

Twenty-one Belgian-Moroccan deputies have also won seats in regional parliaments: 15 in the Parliament of Brussels-Capital region, three in the Parliament of the Wallonia, and three in the Flemish Parliament.

The elections held Sunday in Belgium, which is linguistically divided, resulted in a shift to the right in more prosperous Dutch-speaking Flanders and to the left in French-speaking Wallonia.

The far-right Flemish separatist Vlaams Belang party scored major gains in Belgian elections on Sunday, an outcome likely to make forming the country’s next federal and regional governments more difficult.

In Flanders, the right-wing New Flemish Alliance (N-VA), which, like Vlaams Belang, supports a breakup of the country, had the highest share of vote at 24.9 percent.

In Wallonia, Reformist Movement maintained a strong position at 21.5 percent, trailing closely behind the traditionally dominant Socialist Party.
Green parties won big in Brussels and Wallonia, and the far-left Workers’ Party also surged.

Belgium’s King Philippe is expected to appoint a politician tasked with forming a federal government. Belgium is the country that holds the world record for the longest period without a government — 589 days in 2010-2011.