Its leader, Bart De Wever, also won the race to become mayor of Antwerp, Europe's second-biggest port city.

BBC: Belgian Flemish separatists make gains at polls

The principal obstacle is Bart De Wever, leader of the Flemish nationalist party N-VA, who surprised all by becoming the biggest winner of the 2010 election.

ECONOMIST: Charlemagne

Led by Bart de Wever, a charismatic bruiser, the N-VA's appeal stems precisely from popular exasperation with the messy, unsatisfying compromises of the older political groups.

ECONOMIST: Charlemagne