Frank Creyelman
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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 Vlaams Belang (-2023) |
| Relatives | Steven Creyelman (brother) |
Frank Beno Mariano Creyelman[1] (born 10 August 1961) is a Belgian politician. He was expelled from Vlaams Belang.[2] 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.[3]
Creyelman is known for his sympathies for the dictatorship in Russia.[4] As faction leader of the Vlaams Belang, he was against arms supply from Belgium to Ukraine during the Russian invasion of Ukraine in early 2022. His statements were met with indignation.[5]
On 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.[6] Subsequently, Vlaams Belang expelled him from the party.[7] However, he could not be prosecuted due to loopholes in Belgium's outdated penal code. His brother Steven Creyelman was also investigated but no sufficient evidence was found. As a result, Steven Creyelman announced he would withdraw himself as a candidate for the party at the next election.[8]
References[edit]
- ^ Algemene informatie - Kandidaat-titularissen - verkiezingen senaat 2003; Federal Public Service Interior
- ^ Biography of Frank Creyelman, Encyclopedie van de Vlaamse Beweging
- ^ Biography of Frank Creyelman; Flemish Parliament
- ^ 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)
- ^ "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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