Socialistische Partij Anders

The Socialist Party Other ( sp.a ) listen / i - Subtitles: Sociaal Progressief Alternatief - is a social democratic political party in Flanders (Belgium ).

The first Socialist Party of Belgium had been the " Flemish Socialist Workers' Party ( Vlaamsche Socialistische Arbeidspartij (VSP )), which was in 1885 merged into the total Belgian Belgian Labour Party.

In 1978, 101 years after the founding of the VSP, the Flemish ( Socialist Party, SP) and French-speaking Walloon Socialists ( Parti Socialiste, PS ) beat back a own way. The first chairman was Karel Van Miert.

The Socialist Party ( SP) was for a very long period junior partner of CD & V. That's when a bribery affair that the then NATO Secretary General Willy Claes of the socialistic Partij cost his office.

Under the party chairman Steve Stevaert (2003-2005) there was a renewal of the party, which is now called sp.a. The sp.a worked closely with the left-liberal party Sociaal - Liberal Partij. The cartel lasted from 2003 to 2008.

After Steve Stevaert was governor of the province of Limburg on 1 June 2005, Caroline Gennez took over until the election of a new chairman ( in October 2005 ) temporarily the party chairmanship. In January 2009, the liberals Bert Anciaux had joined the party, the party announced the change of its name in Socialists en Progressieven Anders. The displeasure of the Party meant that retain the old name and was supplemented by the subtitle Sociaal Progressief Alternatief.

In the Flemish elections of 2009, the sp.a received 15.3 percent of the vote. She joined a government with the Christian Democrats and Flemish Nationalists and provides three ministers.