ABSTRACT
Among the three Belgian regionalist parties, the Volksunie (VU, People’s Union) is probably the one most relevant to comparative research as this party represents the political expression of the oldest regionalist movement in Belgium, and the first one to be successful. To some extent, the electoral success of the VU stimulated regionalist movements in the two other regions of the country. Of the three regionalist parties, the VU has probably also had the largest impact in terms of the implementation of its policies and on the political system. Finally, the VU is a typical example of a ‘mature’ regionalist party that has become a victim of its own success.
