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Vivant
Vivant
Leader	Roland Duchâtelet
Founded	1995 (as BANAAN [nl]); 1998 (as Vivant)
Split from	ROSSEM (BANAAN)
Membership (1999)	5,000
Ideology	Social liberalism; Euroscepticism; Basic income; Conservative liberalism; (German wing)
Political position	Centre-left
Colours	Orange, Green
Chamber of Representatives	0 / 150
Senate	0 / 60
Parliament of the German-speaking Community	3 / 25
European Parliament	0 / 21
Website
	vivant-ostbelgien.org
	Politics of Belgium; Political parties; Elections;

Vivant is a small social-liberal political party in Belgium^[2] founded by millionaire Roland Duchâtelet. In the regional elections in June 2004, the party formed a strategic alliance with the Flemish Liberals and Democrats (VLD). Both parties are founded on the principle of individualism and can be called liberal. In 2007, the party announced it would likely merge with the VLD.

Vivant is economically interventionist,^[5] advocating a basic income guarantee for all citizens. Vivant considers the basic income as an inalienable part of the legal minimum wage (approximately half of it for full-time employment). In order to tax goods more evenly, wherever they are manufactured in order to respond to automatisation, globalization and an ageing population, Vivant proposes to shift taxes from labour to final consumption. (All taxes in the chain of production are an inclusive part of the price paid by the consumers and could be considered as a consumption tax, each tax in each stage with its specific side effects.)

Vivant also proposes a flat tax on income in two steps, 0% on to 1350 Euro and 50% from there. The VLD doesn't support all of these measures. Vivant also has direct democracy as one of its key points. The main goal of the party and its universal income proposal, is a creation of an extensive welfare system. The party seeks a "more effective struggle against poverty and exclusion, the end of stigmatizing controls on beneficiaries, and an effective way of suppressing unemployment traps."^[5]

In the regional elections of 2004, partner VLD lost heavily, dragging Vivant with it to third place among Flemish political parties. Although interest in Vivant increased during the elections, the party remained a marginal force in Belgian politics. Vivant is particularly strong in the German-speaking community of Belgium, where it won 7.3% and two representatives in the Parliament of the German community.

While vivant means "alive" or "lively" in French, as an acronym "VIVANT" stands for Voor Individuele Vrijheid en Arbeid in een Nieuwe Toekomst, ("for individual freedom and labour in a new future") in Dutch.

Elections

Vivant first took part in the federal elections for the Belgian Senate and Chamber of Representatives in 1999, but obtained no seats. The 2003 elections were no different. In 2004 there were elections of the European Parliament and the Belgian regional parliaments, where Vivant took part in a list-cartel with the VLD, but none of Vivant's candidates were elected. In 2006, Nele Lijnen became a co-opted member of the Senate.

Election results

European Parliament

Election	List leader	Votes	%		Seats	+/−	EP Group
Election	List leader	Votes	G.E.C.	Overall	Seats	+/−	EP Group
1999	Unclear	1,198	3.25 (#6)	0.02	0 / 25	0	−
2004	Did not contest				0 / 24	0
2009	Josef Meyer	2,417	6.25 (#6)	0.04	0 / 22	0
2014	Andreas Meyer	3,319	8.60 (#6)	0.05	0 / 21	0
2019	Alain Mertes	4,550	11.16 (#6)	0.07	0 / 21	0
2024	Alain Mertes	5,281	12.16 (#4)	0.07	0 / 22	0

References

^ van der Veen, Robert; Groot, Loek; Vanderborght, Yannick (2000). "The VIVANT Experiment in Belgium". Basic Income on the Agenda: Policy Objectives and Political Chances. Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press. p. 277. ISBN 9053564616.
^ ^a ^b ^c Nordsieck, Wolfram (2019). "German-speaking Community/Belgium". Parties and Elections in Europe.
^ ^a ^b "Die Wahlen in der Deutschsprachigen Gemeinschaft". VRT. 7 May 2014.
^ "Belgium". Europe Elects. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
^ ^a ^b van der Veen, Robert; Groot, Loek; Vanderborght, Yannick (2000). "The VIVANT Experiment in Belgium". Basic Income on the Agenda: Policy Objectives and Political Chances. Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press. p. 278. ISBN 9053564616.