The VLD has its origins in the
Party for Freedom and Progress (which in turn was a successor to the
Liberal Party), a bilingual party which stood in both the Flemish and Walloon regions of Belgium. As such the liberal party is the oldest political party of Belgium. In 1846,
Walthère Frère-Orban succeeded in creating a political program which could unite several liberal groups into one party. Before 1960, the
Liberal Party of Belgium was barely organised. The school pact of 1958, as a result of which the most important argument for the traditional
anti-clericalism was removed, gave the necessary impetus for a thorough renewal. During the liberal party congress of 1961, the Liberal Party was reformed into the bilingual
Party for Freedom and Progress (PVV-PLP), and
Omer Vanaudenhove became the chairman of the new party. The new liberal party, which struggled with an anti-clerical image, opened for believers, but was not too concerned about the situation of workers and primarily defended the interests of employers. It is a central principle of Classical Liberalism that employers and employees do not have opposed long term interests. In the late 1960s and the early 1970s, the tensions between the different communities in Belgium rose and there were disagreements within the liberal movement as well. In 1972, the unitary PVV-PLP was split into separate a
Flemish and a
Francophone parties. On Flemish side, under the guidance of
Frans Grootjans,
Herman Vanderpoorten and
Willy De Clercq, the PVV was created, on Walloon side
Milou Jeunehomme became the head of the PLP and Brussels got its own but totally disintegrated liberal party landscape. Willy De Clercq became the first chairman of the independent Party of Freedom and Progress (, PVV). De Clercq, together with Frans Grootjans and Herman Vanderpoorten, set out the lines for the new party. This reform was coupled an Ethical Congress, on which the PVV adopted progressive and tolerant stances regarding abortion,
euthanasia,
adultery, homosexuality, and
gender equality. In 1982, the 29-year-old reformer
Guy Verhofstadt became the chairman of the party, and even was Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Budget from 1986 to 1988.
Annemie Neyts succeeded him as chairman, becoming the first female party chairman. In 1989, Verhofstadt once more became the chairman of the PVV, after his party had been condemned to the opposition by the
Christian People's Party (CVP) in 1987. In 1992, the PVV was reformed into the Flemish Liberals and Democrats (
Vlaamse Liberalen en Democraten, VLD) under the impulse of Verhofstadt. Although the VLD was the successor of the PVV, many politicians with democratic nationalist or socialist roots joined the new party. Notable examples are
Jaak Gabriëls, then-president of the Flemish
People's Union, and
Hugo Coveliers. From the early 1990s, the VLD advanced in every election, only to get in government following the
1999 Belgian federal election when the VLD became the largest party. Verhofstadt became
Prime Minister of Belgium and
Patrick Dewael became
Minister-President of Flanders. They were both at the head of a coalition of liberals, social democrats, and
greens.
2007 elections Before the 2007 general election, the VLD participated in a cartel with
Vivant and
Liberal Appeal. In February 2007, it decided to cease the cartel and start operating under the name
Open VLD. On 10 June 2007, Open VLD won 18 out of 150 seats in the
Chamber of Representatives and five out of 40 seats in the
Senate.
2010 elections In the 2010 general election, Open VLD won 13 out of 150 seats in the
Chamber of Representatives. After the long
government formation process, on 6 December 2011 the
Di Rupo Government was formed, with Open VLD one of the six constituent parties.
2014 elections The party saw a modest increase in support in the 2014 general election, winning 14 out of 150 seats in the Chamber of Representatives. Following the elections, the party was part of a five-party coalition (
Michel I Government) that saw
Charles Michel become Prime Minister.
2019 elections The 2019 general election saw a small decrease in support for Open VLD, with the party winning 12 out of 150 seats in the Chamber of Representatives. This election led to a prolonged government negotiation, which ultimately resulted in Open VLD member
Alexander De Croo becoming Prime Minister over a year after the election took place. The
De Croo Government was a seven-party coalition with support coming from the moderate right, social democrats, and greens in both the Flemish and Francophone communities.
2024 elections The 2024 general election saw the worst result in history for Open VLD, being reduced to eight seats in the Chamber of Representatives. De Croo resigned as Prime Minister in the aftermath, and in 2025 the
De Wever government was formed excluding Open VLD for the first time since the
1995 Belgian federal election. The party adopted its current name in January 2026, dropping the
Vlaamse Liberalen en Democraten for the first time since its founding. ==Ideology and support==