Hugo Coveliers
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Hugo F.V. Coveliers (born 21 February 1947) is a retired Belgian politician and lawyer. He was a member of the Belgian Chamber of People's Representatives between 1985 and 1995 and from 1993 to 2003. Since 2003 he has been a member of the Belgian Senate. He was a parliamentary chairman for the VLD in both chambers, from 1999 to 2003.
Coveliers started his career with the People's Union (Volksunie), a Flemish nationalist party, but changed to the Flemish Liberals and Democrats (VLD) in 1992 together with some other frustrated party members. Within the VLD, he was part of the conservative wing, and he was open to the idea of working with the Vlaams Belang (Flemish Interest) and its precursor Vlaams Blok (Flemish Bloc).
In 2004 Coveliers was co-founder of the Antwerp section of the conservative-libertarian organization Nova Civitas. He also in that time feuded openly with VLD party chairman Karel De Gucht. This resulted in Coveliers being ejected from the party on 8 February 2005, and starting his own political party VLOTT in the fall of 2005. This party is willing to work together with the Vlaams Belang (VB) and formed a cartel with it for the Antwerp city elections in October 2006.
He also became the subject of the first known Googlebomb in Belgium.
After the dismissal of Jean-Marie Dedecker from the VLD, Coveliers, Dedecker and Boudewijn Bouckaert (and other Nova Civitas members) started negotiations to form a new right-wing liberal party. Coveliers and members of VLOTT stood on the VB list for the 2007 general election, however.
Coveliers withdrew from active politics early 2012.
Books by Coveliers
- Securitas Belgica – de rijkswacht is overbodig, Hadewijch, 1989.
- Twee jaar Bendecommissie, een schimmengevecht, on the Nijvel gang investigation, Hadewijch, 1992.
