The far right party Vlaams Belang (Flemish Interest) has suffered its most serious electoral loss in decades. The party of Filip Dewinter received just over 15 percent of the vote, a drop of nearly nine percent since the regional elections in 2004.

Vlaams Belang is the successor of the Vlaams Blok, which was forced to change its name in 2004 after a Belgian court ruled that the party violated the country's laws concerning racism and xenophobia.

Dewinter says his party's loss was a result of a division of votes on the right. The NV-A (New Flemish Alliance), a party which strives for Flemish independence gained 13.1 percent of the vote and the centre-right List Dedecker received 7.6 percent. The Christian Democrats, with 22.9 percent of the vote, remain the largest Flemish party. In the French-speaking provinces of Belgium the Social Democrats remain the largest party with 33 percent of the vote.