In Brussels on Friday, political parties in Belgium reached an agreement to establish a new government, as announced by the office of Belgian King Philippe. This conclusion marked the end of nearly eight months of intricate negotiations that ensued after the election victory of an undisclosed party.
N-VA leader Bart De Wever, aged 54, is set to assume the role of prime minister and head a broad five-party coalition. The coalition comprises Christian democrats and socialists from the Dutch-speaking region in the north, alongside liberal and centrist parties from the French-speaking area in the south.
After protracted coalition discussions regarding budget cuts, tax increases, and pension reforms essential for bolstering the government's finances, the parties clinched an agreement. This was emphasized by De Wever, stressing the importance of enhancing the financial status of the euro zone's sixth largest economy.
Following close to 32 hours of continuous negotiations culminating on Friday evening, the parties ultimately reached a consensus on these policies, along with other contentious issues. This included a commitment to elevate defense spending over the upcoming years to meet the minimum threshold of 2% of the gross domestic product (GDP) adhered to by NATO countries, and to restrict asylum migration, as reported by the newspaper De Tijd citing inside sources.
De Wever officially presented the agreement to King Philippe on Friday evening, yet refrained from disclosing specifics to the awaiting reporters outside the Royal Palace in Brussels. "The die is cast," conveyed De Wever in a post on X, accompanied by an image of his meeting with the king at the palace.
In a statement, the king's office affirmed, "De Wever has informed the king of the government pact agreed upon by the potential coalition partners." De Wever will now proceed to appoint ministers to his cabinet, as indicated.
The far-right Vlaams Belang (Flemish Interest) party was notably left out of the government deliberations, despite making significant gains in the June 2024 election and emerging as the country's second largest party. This exclusion of Vlaams Belang aligns with the consistent stance of political parties in Belgium, as they have continued to shun the party due to its anti-immigrant and anti-EU positions, as well as its agenda advocating for the country's division.