00:02Negotiators from seven parties struck a coalition deal after more than 600 days of deadlock in the
00:08Belgian capital on Thursday night, following nearly three days of conclave-like talks.
00:13The autonomous Brussels capital region has been mired in a political and financial crisis since
00:19the June 2024 elections produced no clear winner. The nearly two-year crisis was finally brought to
00:26an end when the negotiators decided to lock themselves in a building of the University
00:30Foundation, promising to only come out once a deal was reached.
00:56The seven parties, three French-speaking and four Dutch-speaking, reflect Brussels' complex
01:02institutional setup, which has also complicated coalition talks. Unlike Belgium's other regions,
01:09Brussels' government needs to hold a majority in both of the local parliaments' two linguistic groups,
01:14each with different parties. Belgian Prime Minister Barthe Weaver hit out in frustration earlier this
01:20week, saying it was time to overhaul the complex political system and that the deadlock was
01:25damaging the country's reputation.
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