Liberal Belgium shocked by spate of racism scandals

BELGIAN citizens face a reckoning over racism in their country, after two major scandals broke in a single week.

On Thursday a youth movement that appeared to champion traditional Flemish conservative values was exposed as a cover for a far-right anti-semitic group plotting to infiltrate Dutchspeaking mainstream political parties.

And a black television presenter on the country’s leading French language broadcaster revealed that she had been the target of regular racist abuse.

The Schild en Vrienden (Shield and Friends) group had presented itself as Flemish, nationalist and respectable until an investigation by broadcaster VRT revealed its closed online discussion groups were rife with anti-semitic hate speech and imagery.

The exposé also revealed how the group planned to take over conven- tional political groups, such as the Flemish Youth Council, and stand in local elections for the N-VA, Belgium’s most popular party and part of the ruling coalition led by Charles Michel, the prime minister.

Mr Michel condemned both Schild en Vrienden and the racism suffered by Cécile Djunga, a presenter and standup comic who posted a tearful video online after a woman told her she was “too black to be on television”.

Ms Djunga spoke out because too many Belgians believe racism does not exist in their country. The video went viral and has now been viewed two million times.

At the annual gala of a Belgian Jewish group on Thursday night, Mr Michel said: “I’m going to strengthen the operational instruments for fighting antisemitism, racism and xenophobia”.