Belgian PM Open to Review Anti-Racism Laws for Free Speech

The New Flemish Alliance (N-VA) leader addressed the Chamber of Representatives on May 28 in response to questions from Vlaams Belang MP Alexander Van Hoecke regarding the recent conviction of activist Dries Van Langenhove, according to Brussels Signal.

Van Langenhove’s case has sparked widespread controversy after a Belgian court found him guilty of incitement to hatred despite acknowledging that numerous statements he made were factually correct. Judges determined that contextual factors and alleged racist intent rendered his otherwise accurate remarks criminal under current law.

As long as you don’t call for violence, I think words should be combated with words and not with a court, De Wever stated during the parliamentary session.

The Prime Minister emphasized that freedom of expression should be curtailed as sparingly as possible, characterizing superior arguments as the most effective response to flawed ideas. He clarified that he spoke in a personal capacity rather than representing official government policy, as the cabinet has not formally debated the issue.

De Wever indicated agreement with Chamber President Peter De Roover, also from N-VA, who previously told Flemish weekly Knack that the legislation warrants close scrutiny to determine whether it imposes undesirable constraints on free speech. The Prime Minister noted that parliament holds legislative authority and should conduct such an examination deliberately, adding that he would not obstruct such efforts.

Van Hoecke responded by revealing that his party has already prepared legislative proposals for reform and expressed hope for cross-party support.

Defense Minister Calls for Fundamental Overhaul

Defence Minister Theo Francken of N-VA reinforced calls for reform through social media, advocating for comprehensive revision of the statute and highlighting what he characterized as arbitrary enforcement.

Francken referenced the case of writer Herman Brusselmans, whose inflammatory statement in a left-wing publication declaring he wanted to stab a pointy knife through the throat of every Jew he encountered resulted in no criminal charges. The Defence Minister attributed such inconsistencies to excessively vague statutory language that grants judges excessive interpretive discretion.

Historical legal frameworks imposed stricter parameters on speech limitations, Francken noted, concentrating primarily on defamation, libel, and explicit violence incitement. The progressive expansion to encompass the catch-all concept of incitement to hatred has proven too ambiguous, he argued, calling for restoration of foundational principles where only violence advocacy or glorification merits punishment.

Rare Cross-Ideological Concerns Over Conviction

The Van Langenhove verdict has generated unusual criticism even from left-leaning commentators at Flemish daily De Morgen, who acknowledged the conviction represented excessive judicial reach into protected speech territory.

However, Les Engagés, a French-speaking centrist party within De Wever’s federal coalition, rejected any modification to existing law. Party president Yvan Verougstraete insisted that freedom of expression cannot justify racist or discriminatory remarks or hatred incitement, declaring his party’s opposition to any challenge of legislation that protects human dignity and establishes essential boundaries for societal coexistence.

The Moureaux Law Under Fire

The 1981 statute, widely known as the Moureaux Law after Socialist politician Philippe Moureaux, was initially enacted to combat racism and xenophobia. Critics increasingly contend the legislation has been weaponized to suppress legitimate public discourse, particularly concerning immigration and cultural matters.

Right-wing observers assert such suppression constituted the law’s intended purpose from inception, representing deliberate efforts to criminalize dissenting perspectives on demographic and cultural issues under the guise of anti-discrimination enforcement.

With information from Brussels Signal