Democratic Front of Francophones
|
DéFI
|
|
|---|---|
| President | Olivier Maingain |
| Founded | 11 May 1964 |
| Headquarters | Chaussée de Charleroi 127 1060 Brussels |
| Ideology |
Regionalism, Liberalism, Social liberalism |
| Political position | Centre to centre-right |
| European affiliation | None |
| International affiliation | None |
| European Parliament group | No MEPs |
| Colours | Amaranth |
|
Chamber of Representatives (French-speaking seats) |
2 / 63
|
|
Senate (French-speaking seats) |
0 / 24
|
| Walloon Parliament |
0 / 75
|
| Parliament of the French Community |
3 / 94
|
|
Brussels Parliament (French-speaking seats) |
12 / 72
|
|
European Parliament (French-speaking seats) |
0 / 8
|
| Website | |
| www |
|
DéFI is a regionalist,liberal and social liberalpolitical party in Belgium whose aim is expansion of the linguistic rights of French-speakers in and near the Brussels region. The party is led since 1995 by Olivier Maingain, a member of the Chamber of Representatives. The party's current name, DéFI or Défi, is a backronym of Démocrate, Fédéraliste, Indépendant (literally, "Democratic, Federalist, Independent") meaning "challenge" in French which was adopted in 2016.
The party was founded as the Democratic Front of Francophones (Front Démocratique des Francophones, FDF) on 11 May 1964 as a response to the language laws of 1962. The party had instant success in Brussels: it first contested parliamentary elections one year later, where it won one senator and 3 seats in the Chamber of Representatives for the constituency of Brussels. Its number of seats increased further in the subsequent parliamentary elections. The party also dominated Brussels' municipal politics until 1982.
Initially the party cooperated with the Walloon Rally. From 1977 until 1980, the FDF participated in the federal governments led by Leo Tindemans and subsequently Wilfried Martens. From 1992, the FDF regularly competed in electoral alliance with the larger Liberal Reformist Party (PRL). In 2002 the PRL, the FDF, the MCC and the PFF formed the Reformist Movement (MR), a closer alliance of Francophone liberal parties.
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