(Small) Enterpreneurs first!: Analysis of the economic discourse of the Vlaams Belang

A large body of research on political parties is devoted to the family of extreme rightparties. Yet, systematic analyses of extreme right parties discourse remain scarce. Thepresent study addresses this gap in the literature by providing a discourse analysis of the VlaamsBelang, one of the most successful extreme right-wing parties in Europe. Moreover, by focusing onthis partys economic discourse, the study also sheds new light on the ongoing debate aboutthe economic viewpoints of the new extreme right parties. We conclude that the VlaamsBelangs economic rhetoric is in line with its ethno-linguistic, nationalist standpoints andpleas for a Flemish economic policy. The partys economic programme is built on liberalpoints of view and seems particularly aimed at attracting (dissatisfied) liberal voters.Importantly, as economic issues remain subordinated to the partys ideological core, itappears that the Vlaams Belang has largely instrumentalised its programme to expand itselectorate.