Federal MP Dries Van Langenhove caught at lockdown party
The federal MP Dries Van Langenhove, who was elected on the far-right Vlaams Belang’s list in Flemish Brabant was caught attending a so-called “lockdown party” in Ghent (East Flanders). News that police had caught the 27-year-old MP at what was an illegal gathering first appeared in the daily ‘Het Nieuwsblad’ and has since been confirmed by a Vlaams Belang spokesman.
Het Niewsblad’ reports that a neighbour called Ghent police to complain about noise nuisance. When police enter the building from which the noise was coming they found around ten people, a clear breach of the measures brought in to help stem the spread of the novel coronavirus. Among those at the gathering was Mr Van Langehove who sits in the Vlaams Belang Group in the Federal Parliament.
Vlaams Belang’s Spokesman Jonas Naeyaert confirmed the newspaper report. “He was indeed caught attending a barbecue. Both the party and Dries Van Langenhove realise that this was a mistake that can not be taken lightly. In the meantime he should have paid the 250 euro fine."
On Monday morning Mr Van Langenhove could not be contacted by phone. However, on the social media platform Twitter he wrote “It was a quite barbecue with 8 people in attendance. However, as a Federal MP I should set an example and I should have gone home when I saw that there were too many people”.