Anders Chairman De Gucht: PM De Wever Will Slip Up, We Must Be Ready
Frédéric De Gucht, chairman of the Flemish liberal party Anders, has predicted that Prime Minister Bart De Wever will eventually make a critical mistake — and that his party must be ready to capitalize. In a wide-ranging interview with Het Laatste Nieuws, De Gucht acknowledged his party’s dire polling numbers but struck an optimistic tone about its future, positioning Anders as a disciplined alternative waiting in the wings.
A Party at the Precipice
Anders — formerly Open VLD, rebranded in January 2026 — is polling at approximately 5.6%, dangerously close to the 5% electoral threshold. Even when including undecided voters, the figure rises only to 6.9%. The party has been in opposition since the formation of the Arizona coalition government in January 2025, which brought together N-VA, Vooruit, CD&V, MR, and Les Engagés under Prime Minister De Wever.
De Gucht, who has been chairman for seven months since succeeding Tom Ongena in October 2025, acknowledged the scale of the challenge. “It’s as if we have to fight F-35s with bow and arrows,” he said, describing the party’s struggle for relevance.
According to VRT NWS, the rebranding to Anders — meaning “different” or “differently” in Dutch — was announced earlier than planned at a party event in La Madeleine, Brussels, as part of an effort to signal a fresh start after years of electoral decline.
Waiting for De Wever’s Misstep
De Gucht was candid about his strategy: wait for the government to stumble. “Sooner or later he will slip up,” De Gucht said of Prime Minister De Wever. “Then it’s up to us to be ready with the right message and the right people to score maximally electorally.”
He drew a parallel with former Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt, who once dominated Belgian politics as De Wever does now. “We will have to be patient,” De Gucht said.
The Anders chairman also criticized the Arizona coalition’s fiscal record, noting that government parties had promised no new or higher taxes but delivered exactly that. He pointed to the BTW increase, a complicated kilometer allowance scheme, and what he called a “monstrosity” of an energy index as evidence of the government’s failures.
De Gucht revealed that Anders has prepared a €17 billion savings plan, including abolishing the growth norm in healthcare (saving €4.5 billion), increasing co-payment fees (raising €2.6 billion annually), and stimulating economic growth to generate automatic tax revenue.
Internal Renewal and Old Guard Tensions
A key challenge for Anders is its lack of popular figures. De Gucht acknowledged that Vincent Van Quickenborne — the party’s most recognizable face — is “somewhat burned” politically. “Is Vincent the face of the party’s future? No, but he knows that himself,” De Gucht said.
However, he pointed to young talents including Kjell Van der Elst, Arthur Orlians, Sandro Di Nuzio, and Imane Belguenani as the party’s future. He also confirmed that one of the top two spots on the 2029 electoral list will go to a new face who has never served in parliament.
De Gucht described his most important achievement as making the party “a pleasant cafe again” — a reference to his background as a former cafe owner. “Nobody chooses a cafe where there’s fighting,” he said.
The Bouchez Threat
A significant subplot in Flemish liberal politics is the rivalry between De Gucht and MR chairman Georges-Louis Bouchez. Bouchez has repeatedly threatened to establish a Flemish wing of MR, which would compete directly with Anders for liberal voters in Flanders. VRT NWS reported that Bouchez confirmed in March 2026 that he aims to field lists in Flanders by the 2029 elections.
De Gucht dismissed Bouchez’s leadership style, calling him an “autocrat” who creates a “fear psychosis” within his party. “That’s contrary to how a liberal thinks and how I’m wired,” De Gucht said.
He also confirmed that Anders preemptively purchased the domain name “MR Vlaanderen” for €12 per year after Bouchez repeatedly threatened to create a Flemish MR branch. “If someone wants that website, they’ll have to call us at least,” De Gucht said with a laugh.
A Contrast in Styles
Unlike Bouchez, De Gucht embraces a more informal approach. He noted that he is one of the few politicians in the Wetstraat who still drinks alcohol and joked that if he gives an interview to HLN every month, he might soon crack the top 10 of popular politicians.
But he drew a line at the kind of popularity tactics employed by Vooruit chairman Conner Rousseau. “I’m not going to participate in The Masked Singer, pose shirtless in a swimming pool, or disclose my relationship status every five minutes to become popular,” De Gucht said.
What’s Next
De Gucht’s strategy is a long-term bet. The next federal elections are not until 2029, giving Anders three years to rebuild. His target is clear: double digits. But with polls showing the party flirting with the electoral threshold — and a March 2026 HLN poll putting the floor at 4.2% within the margin of error — the path to recovery remains steep.
Whether De Wever will indeed slip up, whether Bouchez will follow through on his Flemish ambitions, and whether Anders can cultivate a new generation of recognizable leaders are the open questions that will define Flemish liberal politics in the years ahead.