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Frank Beno Mariano Creyelman[1] (born 10 August 1961) is a Belgian politician. Between 1995 and 1999 he served as a member of the Flemish Parliament; between 1999 and 2007 as a member of the senate and between 2007 and 2014 again as member of the Flemish Parliament. He is the brother of fellow Vlaams Belang politician Steven Creyelman.[2] He was expelled from Vlaams Belang in 2023 after an investigation uncovered spying links to China.[3]
Frank Creyelman | |
|---|---|
| City councillor in Mechelen | |
| Assumed office 1994 | |
| Member of the Belgian Senate | |
| In office 1999–2007 | |
| Member of the Flemish Parliament | |
| In office 1995–1999 | |
| Constituency | Mechelen-Turnhout |
| In office 2007–2014 | |
| Constituency | Antwerp Province |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Frank Beno Mariano Creyelman August 10, 1961 Dendermonde, Belgium |
| Political party | Independent (2023-) |
| Other political affiliations | Vlaams Belang (2004-2023) Vlaams Blok (1978-2004) |
| Relatives | Steven Creyelman (brother) |
Biography
editCreyelman studied degrees in humanities and modern languages in Mechelen before working in the gaming industry for a number of years.[4]
He first got involved in politics as a member of the Order of Flemish Militants (VMO) in 1979 and later became a member of the Vlaams Blok and served as vice-chairman of the party in Mechelen from 1989 to 1991. He was also a municipal councilor in Mechelen for the party. During the first direct elections to the Flemish Parliament in the 1995 Belgian regional elections, he was elected for the Mechelen-Turnhout electoral constituency and was coopted as a Senator in 1999. He was subsequently reelected when the constituency became the Antwerp district and served chairman of the Commission for Foreign Policy, European Affairs and International Cooperation in the Flemish Parliament.[5][6]
During his time in politics, Creyelman became known for his sympathies for the Russian government and visited Moscow to meet with representatives of Putin.[7] As faction leader of the Vlaams Belang in Mechelen, he was also against arms supply from Belgium to Ukraine during the Russian invasion of Ukraine in early 2022. His statements were met with indignation.[8] Some his of his pro-Russian statements were criticised by Vlaams Belang leader Tom Van Grieken who distanced the party from them.[9]
Chinese spying scandal
editOn 15 December 2023, a joint investigation by Financial Times, Der Spiegel and Le Monde revealed that Creyelman accepted bribes from China's Ministry of State Security for three years to influence discussions within the European Union.[10] Subsequently, Vlaams Belang expelled him from the party.[11] Creyelman was investigated by police but he could not be prosecuted due to loopholes in Belgium's penal code. His brother Steven Creyelman was also interviewed by Belgian security services after a series of texts were uncovered in which Frank Creyelman had messaged him assignment requests due to his brother's role as chairman of the Committee for Army Procurement, but no sufficient evidence was found of Steven Creyelman having direct links to China. As a result, Steven Creyelman distanced himself from his brother's scandals but announced he would withdraw himself as a candidate for Vlaams Belang at the next election.[12]
References
edit- ^ Algemene informatie - Kandidaat-titularissen - verkiezingen senaat 2003; Federal Public Service Interior
- ^ Biography of Frank Creyelman; Flemish Parliament
- ^ Biography of Frank Creyelman, Encyclopedie van de Vlaamse Beweging
- ^ Biografie Frank Creyelman in de Nieuwe Encyclopedie van de Vlaamse Beweging
- ^ [1]. Gearchiveerd op 8 november 2022
- ^ [2]. Gearchiveerd op 18 augustus 2022
- ^ List of newspaper articles about Creyelman (archived on 14 September 2022)
- ^ Uitspraken van Frank Creyelman in Russische media over wapenlevering aan Oekraïne zet kwaad bloed bij Mechelse Stadslijst: “Dit is totaal on-Mechels (archived on 9 May 2022)
- ^ [3]. Gearchiveerd op 9 mei 2022
- ^ "Chinese spies recruited European politician in operation to divide west". Financial Times. 15 December 2023.
- ^ "Vlaams Belang zet Frank Creyelman uit partij na onthullingen over spionage voor China". Gazet van Antwerpen (in Dutch). 15 December 2023.
- ^ "Belgium suspected China spy but was unable to prosecute". www.ft.com. Retrieved 2024-01-11.
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