Francophone political commentators have responded with surprise to the casting of Drieu Godefridi as lead candidate for the Flemish nationalist N-VA in the Walloon Brabant constituency for the federal elections on 9 June. "He has not been welcome in the francophone media for 7 years because he is too right-wing," says Christophe Deborsu of Walloon/Luxembourg broadcaster RTL. "Bart De Wever may not realise who he has brought in," says Dorian de Meeûs of Christian daily La Libre Belgique.
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Francophone political commentators ‘surprised’ by Bart De Wever's choice of lead candidate in Walloon Brabant
Colin Clapson
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The N-VA wants to put up candidates in all Walloon provinces in the upcoming federal elections and hopes to win 3 seats in Wallonia. On Wednesday, the first lead candidate was revealed: Drieu Godefridi.
"Godefridi is very radical and conservative," Dorian de Meeûs explains. "We know that when you are on the radical-right, you need charisma like Marine Le Pen in France or Tom Van Grieken in Flanders. Godefridi doesn't have that."
"Moreover, he is a completely unknown figure in Wallonia, known only to readers of his newspaper columns," says Dorian de Meeûs.
The editor-in-chief of daily La Libre Belgique believes that N-VA leader Bart De Wever did not do his homework properly when casting Godefridi. "In recent years he has been radicalised on many issues. Among other things, he favoured coalitions with Vlaams Belang and he hates ecologists."
"Bart De Wever may not realise who he has brought in," de Meeûs continues. "The N-VA is making a cynical attempt to weaken the MR in Wallonia. I have got no other words for this."
Not welcome in French-language media
Christophe Deborsu on RTL's political desk largely shares De Meeûs' analysis. "Godefridi is a very pleasant person in his own right, but there is a problem," Deborsu says. "He has not been welcome in programmes in the francophone media for seven years because he is too right-wing. He is also a 'climate doubter' if not a climate denier."
"He is pro-Trump. He also leans towards French far-right polemicist Eric Zemmour without openly supporting him. He sows a lot of doubt about what he really stands for. In the eyes of the French-speaking media, he falls under the cordon sanitaire," Deborsu explained.
"At the legal department of public broadcaster RTBF, they are now examining whether he can take part in the debates. This is also happening at RTL. He has not been invited for years because of his extremist views."
During his presentation Godefridi said he was not a fan of Donald Trump or of Eric Zemmour.
In Belgian politics the term ‘cordon sanitaire’ refers to non cooperation with the far right, in particular, the Flemish far-right Vlaams Belang. In broadcasting it means parties that are deemed to be extremist and beyond the pale can be treated differently by broadcasters.