New Belgian government sworn in after months of talks
- 10 years ago
After five months of talks, a new centre-right Belgian government has been sworn in.
At the age of 38 francophone Charles Michel is the country’s youngest prime minister since 1841.
He has put together a four-party coalition, which brings a Flemish separatist party into government for the first time.
The Socialists are excluded from governing for the first time in 26 years and there is just one French-speaking party.
Francophone Didier Reynders has been named foreign minister of this linguistically divided country, while Jan Jambon from the Flemish party N-VA will be the interior minister.
The coalition was formed after the Flemish party softened its demands for greater autonomy for Dutch-speaking Flanders in the north.
With 65 Flemish MPs and just 20 French-speakers in the government, some media have dubbed it the “kamikaze coalition”, saying tension is likely.
At the age of 38 francophone Charles Michel is the country’s youngest prime minister since 1841.
He has put together a four-party coalition, which brings a Flemish separatist party into government for the first time.
The Socialists are excluded from governing for the first time in 26 years and there is just one French-speaking party.
Francophone Didier Reynders has been named foreign minister of this linguistically divided country, while Jan Jambon from the Flemish party N-VA will be the interior minister.
The coalition was formed after the Flemish party softened its demands for greater autonomy for Dutch-speaking Flanders in the north.
With 65 Flemish MPs and just 20 French-speakers in the government, some media have dubbed it the “kamikaze coalition”, saying tension is likely.