Belgium (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – A new Federal Government took hold in Belgium as N-VA leader Bart De Wever took charge after eight months of political negotiations following the June 2024 elections.
Bart De Wever of the New Flemish Alliance (N-VA) became Prime Minister after Belgium endured 234 days of government uncertainty following the June 2024 elections. This coalition, known as the ‘Arizona’ alliance, includes five major parties: N-VA, the socialist Vooruit, the Christian Democrats (CD&V), the liberal Reformist Movement (MR), and the centrist Les Engagés.
The three-day negotiation at the Royal Military School in Brussels resulted in the completion of the agreement on January 31, 2025.
After seven long months, we finally have a government for the country,
said Conner Rousseau, president of Vooruit.
Rousseau confirmed that political parties had reconciled, yet he expressed concern about impending negative feedback. The coalition agreement stands ready for party congress confirmation, after which King Philippe will perform the final ratification procedure and ministerial appointments.
During coalition negotiations, Belgian political actors dedicated their efforts to establishing vital reforms that would resolve the country’s budget surplus and social issues. Tax reform represents a core priority alongside modifications to pensions, modifications to labour market regulations, and increased spending power for the population.
Negotiations were marked by significant disagreements over Bart De Wever’s ‘supernote,’ particularly concerning capital gains tax and wage indexation. The Vooruit party opposed modifications to automatic wage indexation because such reforms would threaten employees’ ability to buy things. Georges-Louis Bouchez held a stand against several legislative measures that he considered to be leftist in nature.
The negotiations stretched over a consecutive two-day period starting from January 29-31 as participants worked towards reaching an agreement. Flemish Minister-President Matthias Diependaele praised the breakthrough by saying:
“an important step for the protection of our Flemish prosperity.”
The coalition agreement will advance through the approval process of the party congress. After completing their work, the new government will receive its oath from King Philippe, which will pave the way for resolving Belgium’s extended political deadlock.
How has Belgium’s political system shaped this outcome?
A strong linguistic and regional divide runs across Belgium, which separates the Dutch-speaking northern portion from the French-speaking southern section. The June 2024 elections produced a dispersed parliament, which extended the duration required for government coalition negotiations. The N-VA obtained the most votes at 17% during the election but encountered difficulties putting together a coalition because multiple parties wanted to pursue their own agendas.
The cabinet led by Prime Minister Alexander De Croo handed in its resignation when political forces led Open Vld and PS to join the opposition bloc. The ‘Arizona coalition now holds a comfortable majority of 82 seats in Parliament, ensuring representation across both language groups.
Belgium’s economy represents about 3.4% of the EU’s total GDP value, while its main problems include population ageing and increasing public debt levels. Belgium experienced a historic 541-day period without government leadership from 2010 to 2011 because of political impasses.
