Belgium's nationalist New Flemish Alliance is making moves to court former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont with a place on the party's electoral list for next year's European election, two people briefed on the discussions said.

The N-VA, Belgium's largest political party, hasn't extended a formal invitation for the Catalan secessionist to join its ranks, but party insiders say efforts are underway to attract the exiled politician.

Puigdemont, the former regional president who faces charges of rebellion in Spain over his role in the 2017 Catalan independence referendum, returned to Belgium last week and said he'll pursue his pro-Catalan independence lobbying activity in the country.

According to a prominent N-VA member, talks have taken place "in the margin of meetings" and "over a pint."

A spokesperson for Puigdemont said they were not aware of discussions with the N-VA.

As Belgium's largest political group, the N-VA got four seats at the last European election.

The Flemish nationalists and Catalan's independence movement have longstanding ties. When Puigdemont fled Spain after he was removed from office following the controversial referendum, Belgian migration minister and prominent N-VA member Theo Francken made an overture to the Catalan politician, saying he could apply for asylum in Belgium if needed. Puigdemont also received support from Flemish nationalists when he faced an extradition request from Spain.

The possibility of including Puigdemont in the N-VA's 2019 European election list was floated by party members who are vocal supporters of the Catalan independence movement, according to two party members. But the party has not officially discussed or endorsed the idea, they said.

Several other party officials did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

The official party line is that it is still too early to speculate over who gets a slot on the party list. "We will deal with drafting the 2019 electoral lists in 2019," said N-VA spokesperson Joachim Pohlmann.

Belgian parties tend to put a political heavyweight on the lowest spot of their electoral lists as a "list-pusher." The idea is that a senior politician can attract a large number of individual votes based on fame or reputation, and boost the likelihood of voters approving names higher up the list.

“First let’s focus on the local election [in October]," said Anneleen Van Bossuyt, an MEP for the N-VA who chairs the European Parliament's Internal Market Committee. “In politics, a month is a long time — let alone almost a year," she said.

Belgian parties decide how to fill their electoral list — and where candidates go on it — a couple of months before the vote in an internal process that is typically rife with horse trading and internal power struggles. In addition to the 2019 European vote, the N-VA is currently gearing up for regional and federal elections in October.

Belgium has 21 seats in the European Parliament. As Belgium's largest political group, the N-VA got four seats at the last European election. But repeating its 2014 election result will be a challenge for a party that has alienated some core voters since agreeing to put its separatist agenda on hold in order to take part in the federal government coalition under Prime Minister Charles Michel.

Having Puigdemont on its European election list could help the N-VA "attract sympathy votes from their Flemish nationalist base, and some people who feel strongly about justice and fairness in the EU,” said Karl Drabbe, a publisher and prominent figure within the Flemish nationalist movement who has close ties to the Catalan movement.

It would be “a nice gesture to those voters that care deeply about Flemish autonomy, they would feel taken into account,” said Drabbe.

The party takes a strong interest on European issues, taking a critical approach to closer EU integration while pushing for a stronger internal market — much like the U.K. Conservative Party, its ideological ally in the European Parliament.

But Brexit has shaken up things for the N-VA. Without the British Tories, the European Conservatives and Reformists faction in Brussels, of which the N-VA is a member, is in danger of disappearing and parties in the group are looking for new coalition members.

There is one major obstacle to including Puigdemont on the N-VA list that will be particularly sensitive for the nationalist party: Belgian electoral law requires any Flemish candidate for the European Parliament to speak Dutch.

Simon Van Dorpe contributed to this report.