New Government for Belgium Imminent
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December 1, 2011 TheFreshOutlook  |
A year and a half after Belgium’s parliamentary elections, it appears that a new government is about to be formed.
Elio Di Rup, leader of the Francophone Socialist party, looks set to become Belgium’s new prime minister after six parties agreed on a new coalition headed by the French speaking socialist.
Mr Di Rupo, 60, will be the first French speaking prime minister in three decades, as well as being the first socialist leader since 1974. A caretaker administration has been in charge since the resignation of the previous government in April 2010.
Belgium has set a modern-day world record for the time spent without a formal government. No agreement could be made between Belgium’s French and Dutch speaking communities. There were fears that Belgium would be split up into the wealthier Dutch Flanders and the French South. However, it appears that the eurozone debt crisis has pushed leaders to come to a decision.
On Saturday, six parties including the Liberals, Socialists and Christian Democrats from both French and Dutch speaking areas drew up an austerity budget with aims of paying off their increasing levels of debt by 2015. However, Flemish N-VA, Belgium’s largest party, was absent.
Parties are expected to give their final agreement and it is believed that a new government could be in place on Monday.
Socialist minister in the Caretaker cabinet Laurette Onkelinx said: “It’s the end of the tunnel.”
Members of the party of European Socialists (PES) in Brussels approved of the negotiations and the reforms taking place both economically and socially.
New PES president Sergei Stanishev stated: “People are demanding change from the failed conservative policies. Belgium has today taken a progressive turn. Soon it will be Europe’s turn.”
By Nicola Stahr
[Image courtesy of Luc Van Braekel]
