Good evening from Brussels (again). Tuesday marks the second post-election day, and the results of Sunday have shown the Belgian political landscape is in for quite the shake-up. Things are moving fast on the ground, with more visits to the King and initial talks to form a Flemish Government.
As all results from across the country are in, the government formation process can start. Read all about how this works with Belgium's complex state structure in this article. The possible coalitions on the federal and regional levels can be found here.
This article covers the developments of Tuesday 11 June. Follow the most important developments here. The latest updates appear highest on the page. Those who want to read The Brussels Times' play-by-play coverage of election Sunday can find the live blog here, while Monday's coverage can be found here.
[18:45] – Explorative government formation talks continue tomorrow
King Philippe will continue consultations for Federal Government formation on Wednesday. Groen co-leaders Jeremie Vaneeckhout and Nadia Naji are expected from 09:30. Afterwards, it is the turn of their (resigning) colleagues from Ecolo, Jean-Marc Nollet and Rajae Maouane, and DéFI leader François De Smet.
On the side of the Flemish Government consultations, N-VA leader Bart De Wever – whose party was the biggest and therefore in charge of leading the talks – will also hold discussions with Groen's co-leaders, as well as Raoul Hedebouw, the leader of PTB-PVDA. It is not yet clear whether an invitation will also go to Fouad Ahidar, who single-handedly managed to claim a seat in the Flemish Parliament.
With that, we will be wrapping up today’s live blog. Thanks all!
King Philippe. Credit: Belga/Dirk Waem
[18:35] - Ecolo's defeat is "a nameless waste," says outgoing MEP
Ecolo's defeat in Sunday's elections is a "huge disappointment" and an "unspeakable waste," said outgoing MEP Philippe Lamberts (Ecolo) on Tuesday. He called on his party to take a close look at themselves and pointed out that many environmentalists live in a "bubble" of like-minded people.
"There are of course external factors, but it is not by doing as Jean-Marc Nollet did yesterday – attributing the main responsibility for the failure to the difficult circumstances, to what is happening on the social networks – that we are really going to raise the bar," said the MEP, who is finishing his third and final term in the European Parliament.
"We can wallow in that, but if we want to redress the situation, we will have to carry out a very serious examination of conscience within Ecolo on what the party has become," said Lamberts.
According to him, Ecolo lacks credibility on the economic side on the one hand and the social side on the other, which has caused them to miss out on votes on the left as well as on the centre-right. "If we do not have a credible answer on the transformation of our economic model and answers on how we can make the transition just, we lose on both sides."
On Sunday's triple vote, the environmentalists lost 10 seats in the Federal Parliament, keeping only three. In Wallonia, Ecolo loses seven seats and retains five. In Brussels, the party halved the number of its elected representatives, to seven seats (-8). The party also failed to keep its second seat in the European Parliament.
[17:58] - 'Not for us to demand things,' says Open VLD leader
"We have done good work in the Flemish Government, but the voter decided otherwise. It is not up to us to demand things," said the resigning leader the Flemish liberal Open VLD Tom Ongena on Tuesday, before meeting the N-VA's Bart De Wever for consultations to form the Flemish Government.
"I wish him success in forming a government," said Ongena. "It would be good for Flanders if this were done quickly. We are waiting to see what this government’s plan is, then we will determine our position."
[16:30] - 'Stings a bit' that Wallonia has a government before Flanders, Mahdi says
"I note that the Walloons have held a press conference to announce they found a government," said Sammy Mahdi, the leader of the Flemish Christian-democratic CD&V, before he had a consultation with Bart De Wever about forming the Flemish Government.
"In Flanders, we have traditionally been the first ones to find an agreement. That may sting a bit, but hopefully we can make up for it quickly," Mahdi said.
According to Mahdi, there is little doubt about the direction the formation is taking. "We should not be shy about it, there are very few alternatives other than the rocket coalition," he said. "Flanders has always had the tradition of quickly forming a government, so I hope everyone will act constructively. But of course, each party has its own priorities."
[15:49] Next Walloon Minister-President will "most likely" be a liberal
During the press conference, MR leader Georges-Louis Bouchez stated that Wallonia’s next Minister-President would "most likely" be a liberal. Minister-Presidencies are given to the heads of Belgium's four regions.
Both Bouchez and Les Engagés leader Maxime Prévot repeatedly stressed that they had not yet found the time to discuss their coalition agreement or the appointment of ministerial posts in the 48 hours since the elections, but agreed that this step would be only logical, considering MR is the biggest party in the coalition.
[15:02] - French-speaking Governments in the making: MR and Les Engagés reach agreement for Wallonia
Just two days after the elections, MR leader Georges-Louis Bouchez and Les Engagés leader Maxime Prévot announced that they had found an agreement to form the regional Walloon Government as well as the French Community Government (also known as Federation Wallonie-Bruxelles). Together, the parties hold 43 of 75 seats, meaning they did not require a third party to reach a majority.
During a press conference in the Parliament of the Brussels-Wallonia Federation on Tuesday afternoon, the leaders announced that they would work together to make a coalition agreement. "We have decided to go into government together, as the two of us have a majority to form both governments in the French-speaking part of the country," Bouchez said.
MR leader George-Louis Bouchez and Les Engagés leader Maxime Prévot at a joint press conference on Tuesday 11 June 2024. Credit: The Brussels Times
The parties also want to form a partnership on all other levels of government. On Wednesday, they will start talks as a duo to form a majority in the French-speaking side of the Brussels Government. The two parties also want to maintain their partnership during the government formation talks at the Federal level, where they will also maintain their partnership.
"Our programmes are very closely aligned, on many matters. Looking at the mandate the voters gave us, this partnership on as many levels of government is only logical," Prévot said.
Bouchez also explained that while he informed the other party leaders of his decision to go into government with Les Engagés, he did not see the use in "wasting time" by holding talks with them when it quickly became clear that a coalition was possible. "We do not have any time to lose."
[14:51] - 'Vooruit will never agree to cuts on healthcare or purchasing power'
Vooruit's leader Melissa Depraetere arrives for a meeting with the Belgian King, Tuesday 11 June 2024 in Brussels, to discuss the results of Sunday's regional, federal and European elections. Credit: Belga / Benoit Doppagne
Flemish social democrats Vooruit will not engage in any negotiations that involve cuts to healthcare or purchasing power, according to party chair Melissa Depraetere.
Depraetere spoke on Tuesday following a forty-minute discussion with King Philippe, describing it as "very constructive". She expressed eagerness about the King's future actions, asserting the party's readiness for constructive dialogue.
Concerning the potential coalition Vooruit might join, with either N-VA or PS, Depraetere remained non-committal. "We will see the King's next move," she remarked, emphasising their approach of being open to dialogue without getting attached to any one party. "But it's clear that Vooruit will never agree to cuts on healthcare or citizens' purchasing power," she said.
[14:33] - New Dutch government is in place, says Wilders
After France, things are also moving on the other side of the Belgian border. The new Dutch government team has been assembled under the leadership of the Party for Freedom's (PVV) Geert Wilders, who was in Flanders last Saturday to campaign for Vlaams Belang.
Wilders took to social media platform X to announce, "We've done it! Agreement on everything! A new cabinet". He pledged to share more details of the government's formation over the coming hours and days, reported Dutch broadcaster NOS.
Dutch far-right politician Geert Wilders delivers a speech at a meeting of Flemish far-right party Vlaams Belang, in Aalst, Saturday 08 June 2024. Credit: Belga / Nicolas Maeterlinck
It had previously been revealed that PVV intended to form a coalition with the liberal VVD, Pieter Omtzigt's New Social Contract (NSC), and Farmers' Citizen Interests (BBB). Although the team had been mentioned, specific members were yet to be disclosed. At the time, they proposed a main points agreement, which the newly-formed group will now expand into a governing programme.
Negotiations between the four parties started on Monday, led by Zurich-based financier Richard Van Zwol. Appointed as the negotiator, Van Zwol was only given five weeks, beginning in late May, to form a government. Amidst this, he also recommended Dick Schoof as the candidate for prime minister.
[14:09] - France: Deal between right and far-right for national elections
Over the border in France, the leader of centre-right The Republicans (LR), Eric Ciotti, has called for an unprecedented partnership with the far-right National Rally (RN), following President Emmanuel Macron's dramatic dissolution of the assembly on Sunday.
"We need an alliance, whilst maintaining our identity (...) with the RN and its candidates," said Eric Ciotti on television network TFI, expressing a rather controversial stance within his party, where he is facing significant opposition.
Should this agreement materialise, it would be the first of its kind between the right and far-right in France, breaking the cordon sanitaire around the far-right in France. Given that LR are affiliated with the European People's Party (EPP) in the European Parliament, it would be a blow to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's vow to take on the far-right.
Ursula von der Leyen: “We will build a bastion against the extremists”.
Facts: EPP parties are cooperating with extremists in Italy, Netherlands, Finland, Sweden, Spain, Hungary (Kdnp) and now France. https://t.co/1dw2adqshZ — David Carretta (@davcarretta) June 11, 2024
French left-wing political parties also announced on Monday their intention to unite behind single candidates for the first round of parliamentary elections.
[13:41] - Difficult relationship between Vooruit and Team Ahidar in Brussels
In Brussels, environmentalists Groen are in the driving seat for coalition negotiations on the Dutch-speaking side. Despite a gain of more than two percentage points, the party retains four seats. Team Fouad Ahidar is second with three seats. Then follow N-VA, Open VLD, Vlaams Belang and Vooruit.brussels, all with two seats. PTB-PVDA and CD&V close the line with one seat each.
Brussels Minister Elke Van den Brandt (Groen) started exploratory talks for forming a majority and is meeting with all parties from large to small, except Vlaams Belang. This means Fouad Ahidar is the first to come up. For a coalition with three, his party is "inevitable."
Vooruit Brussels MP Hannelore Goeman, who is extending her stay in the Flemish Parliament for Vooruit, lashed out at her former party colleague Ahidar, whose list immediately gained a seat more than his former party.
Fouad Ahidar. Credit: Belga/Nicolas Maeterlinck
"We have lost touch with part of the population and Fouad Ahidar has always been a representative of the people and has built a very large network in 20 years," Goemand said on Flemish radio. "But he has waged a particularly strong anti-campaign against us with fake news and lies in Whatapp groups."
The creases between Ahidar and his former party have clearly not been ironed out yet. He left Vooruit in response to racist statements made by then-party leader Conner Rousseau, but relations with the party leadership had soured for some time due to Ahidar's stance on the practice of unstunned slaughter and his statements about the Gaza-Israel situation.
[13:03] - Bouchez and Prévot to give joint press conference this afternoon
Leaders of the Francophone liberal MR and centrist Les Engagés Georges-Louis Bouchez and Maxime Prévot will give a joint press conference at 14:30, making it clear that they will work together.
Together, the two parties have a majority to form the French Community Government as well as the Walloon Regional Government (43 of 75 seats). On Monday, Bouchez already said that the formation of the various governments could be soon. "And when I say soon, I do not mean in October, but in a few weeks. In Wallonia, it could even be a lot faster."
The fact that PS leader Paul Magnette announced that his party was going into opposition made Bouchez's decision even easier, meaning the Walloon Government could soon be formed. This cooperation between Les Engagés and MR may also be followed up at the Federal and possibly the Brussels Regional level.
[12:58] - Brussels Government will be 'most difficult puzzle' to solve
Taking into account the way the chips have fallen after the elections, it will not be the Federal Government but the Brussels Government that will be difficult to form, professor of political science (VUB) Dave Sinardet told The Brussels Times.
"The Brussels Government is the only level where reaching a solid coalition is much less obvious. It will be the most difficult puzzle to solve," he said. "While it will not be a walk in the park to effectively form a coalition agreement on any level, there are somewhat obvious partners who do want to work together in the other governments. But that is not the case in Brussels."
The coalitions in the Capital Region are far from obvious. On the Dutch-speaking side, environmentalists Groen are "unavoidable," he said. The party either has to align itself with newcomer Fouad Ahidar – but it might be tricky to commit to a five-year coalition with several complete unknowns – or form a coalition of four after all, with Open VLD, CD&V and Vooruit.
"But on the French-speaking side, MR is the big winner and therefore the logical partner to lead the government formation. However, the party has harshly attacked the Good Move mobility plan – the showpiece of Groen's Elke Van den Brandt who received a lot of preferential votes because of that plan," Sinardet said.
MR leader Georges-Louis Bouchez delivers a speech at the meeting of the French-speaking liberal party. Credit: Belga / Laurie Dieffembacq
To stay in line with the other likely government coalitions, it seems more logical to have a coalition of MR, Les Engagés, DéFi and Ecolo. "However, MR and Ecolo is a very difficult combination, even if this formation would keep most other political families (greens, liberals, Christian democrats) together."
Additionally, Ecolo lost heavily in the Francophone part of Belgium, while PS did not fall quite so steeply. "But an MR-PS coalition would be very difficult as well. While they generally agree on their disapproval of Good Move – which will inevitably collide with Van den Brandt on the Dutch-speaking side – they clash on many social and religious issues."
[12:33] - Les Engagés 'should consider' a coalition with N-VA
With French-speaking greens Ecolo suffering an electoral defeat and socialist PS opting for the opposition, centrist Les Engagés "should consider a coalition with N-VA," said party leader Maxime Prévot, president of Les Engagés, said on Tuesday when he arrived at the Palace for his visit with the King.
"Everything depends on what kind of state reform is envisaged. If it is to skin the country, we are not a partner," he said. "The priority for the citizen is firstly socio-economic: tax reform, pension reform, a successful climate transition."
Les Engagés' leader Maxime Prévot pictured while arriving for his meeting with the King. Credit: Belga/Dirk Waem
However, Prévot said there is "a strong feeling" that "a lot of public money is wasted and that the 'institutional lasagna' is not working optimally, so we should have no fear of a state reform, if it benefits the country."
"Two days ago, we received a clear signal. In the south of the country, there are only two winners: MR and Les Engagés," he said. "Now we have to work together to quickly form a coalition, both nationally and regionally."
[12:20] - PS 'will not block Brussels,' but expects things in return
Outgoing Pensions Minister and PS party member Karine Lalieux has said that her party will not block the formation of a Brussels Government. PS leader Paul Magnette announced on Monday that the PS would not enter the governments at any level, but Lalieux told BX1 that things are different in Brussels.
The Brussels region saw a big shift on Sunday with MR surpassing PS as the largest French-speaking party in the Captial Region for the first time in 15 years. MR secured over 26% of the French-speaking vote – much higher than their 2019 score of 16.9%, and now holds 20 of the 89 seats. PS did, however, do better than polls predicted: it was expected to get 15% of French-speaking voters in Brussels but ended up at 22%.
Pensions minister Karine Lalieux (PS). Credit: Belga
"We do not want to sell ourselves at any price, but we are not going to block the formation in Brussels" by standing aside and not joining the government, she said. However, she stressed that PS will not participate in an austerity government that cuts social security, and therefore expects a "token signal from the MR" on housing, budget and social policy.
MR list leader David Leisterh expressed his preference for a centre-right coalition with Les Engagés and DéFi. But this coalition falls short of a majority, with just 34 out of 89 seats, so a more obvious coalition would bring together MR, PS and Les Engagés.
[11:53] - Coalition talks among Dutch-speaking parties in Brussels on Wednesday
Elke Van den Brandt, leader of Groen, which was the biggest Flemish-speaking party in Brussels in Sunday's elections, will start talks on Wednesday to form a Dutch-speaking majority in the Brussels Parliament, her cabinet confirmed to The Brussels Times. As the party is the largest group in the Dutch language group regionally, it has the right of initiative to start formation talks.
Groen's Elke Van den Brandt on election night. Credit: belga/ David Stockman
"We will start inviting the leaders of the parties from big to small," spokesperson Litte Frooninckx said. This means Fouad Ahidar (a former Vooruit politician who scored remarkably well after setting up his own eponymous party) will be the first to talk with Van den Brandt. Far-right party Vlaams Belang, which booked significant wins in Flanders and in the Federal elections, will not be invited to coalition talks.
The Brussels Government is formed in two stages. First, the biggest parties in the French and Dutch language groups (MR and Groen) try to form a majority within those language groups. This being done, negotiations start for a Brussels coalition. However, this is uniquely complicated and can lead to asymmetrical majorities, due to the disproportionate allocation of seats to each language group.
[10:55] - PTB-PVDA leader Raoul Hedebouw in audience with the King
Leader of Belgium's Workers Party PTB-PDVA Raoul Hedebouw arrived for an audience with the King, who has been inviting party leaders on Monday and Tuesday to talk about possible future governments. The party achieved the best result in its history in Flanders and Brussels, while in Wallonia, the PTB-PDVA lost two seats.
PVDA - PTB leader Raoul Hedebouw at the Royal Palace. Credit: Dirk Waem
Hedebouw walked to the Royal Palace. It marks his first time visiting the King: in the previous government formation, predecessor Peter Mertens visited as leader of the party.
Hedebouw said he would argue that, as a national party also running in all regions, PTB-PVDA is "well placed to find solutions for the country". However, it is all but ruled out that the party will be joining coalitions in a government, as MR said it would not want to join forces with the party.
[10:25] - PS leader leaves Royal Palace: 'Punctuality is the politeness of kings'
On his arrival at the Palais, PS leader Paul Magnette declined to comment on his party's choice of opposition. "You're going to make me late, please let me pass," he told journalists. "It's very important to be on time, you know that punctuality is the politeness of kings."
Raoul Hedebouw (PTB) is meeting the King at 10:30, and then it is the turn of Maxime Prévot (Les Engagés) at 11:30.
[10:05] - Voting behaviour in Brussels
Sunday’s grandstand elections saw a major resurgence for the right, including in Brussels. As was predicted in the later polls, the big overall winners in the regional elections in Brussels were French-speaking centre-right Mouvement Reformateur (MR), finishing with 20 seats (+7) in the Brussels Parliament. However, there were some shocks and surprises.
Data: Home Affairs Ministry. Credit: The Brussels Times
The biggest losers of the day were French-speaking greens Ecolo, who got only seven seats (-8). They were also overtaken by Les Engagés, who retained their eight seats and came fourth. DéFi will send six MPs (-4) to the regional parliament. This deeply contrasted with the fortunes of its Dutch-speaking counterpart Groen. The Flemish greens were the biggest winners in the Dutch-speaking college of the Belgian capital and will have four Brussels MPs in the regional parliament.
Another success story was Team Fouad Ahidar, who got an incredible 3 MPs after winning 13,242 votes as an independent after leaving Vooruit in December 2023. Read more about how people voted in your Brussels municipality here.
[09:15] - Bart De Wever (N-VA) takes first steps towards forming Flemish Government
The leader of the winning N-VA party Bart De Wever will be inviting the presidents of several Flemish parties in the afternoon for an exploratory meeting to discuss possible coalitions. He will be working in order of elected seats, starting with Tom Van Grieken of Vlaams Belang, which ended in close second place, followed by Melissa Depraetere (Vooruit), Sammy Mahdi (CD&V) and Tom Ongena (Open VLD; he resigned after his party lost significantly).
Belgium's Workers Party PTB-PVDA won the same amount of seats as Open VLD in the Flemish Parliament (both scored 8.3%, winning nine seats), but won't be talking with De Wever until Wednesday, as will Groen.
There are reports that the aim is to form a Flemish Government by 11 July, the Flemish holiday, which is exactly one month from now. The most likely coalition is a government with N-VA, CD&V and Vooruit, dubbed the "rocket ice lolly" coalition due to the party colours.
[08:50] - King to receive more party leaders
After a busy start to the week – King Philippe on Monday invited former Prime Minister Alexander De Croo (Open VLD), as well as the leaders of the winning parties for talks – meetings with other party leaders who could be included in a coalition to form the next Federal Government are taking place on Tuesday. It is customary for the King to hold a round of consultations after the elections, after which he commissions a so-called "informator", who is tasked with analysing the options for a stable coalition.
From as early as 9:15 on Tuesday morning, the first party presidents will head to the Palace. The King will receive the party chairs in descending order of the number of seats their political party won in the Federal elections in Sunday's elections.
King Philippe - Filip of Belgium and PS chair. Credit: Belga. Dirk Waem
As Bart De Wever (N-VA), Tom Van Grieken (Vlaams Belang) and Georges-Louis Bouchez already saw the King on Monday, it is now the turn of Paul Magnette (PS), who came first this morning. After years of being the biggest party in Wallonia, PS was dethroned to second place on Sunday, with Francophone liberal MR now leading the Walloon parliament. The party board has already said PS will not enter any governing coalitions.
He will be followed by Melissa Depraetere (Vooruit), Maxime Prévot (Les Engagés) and Sammy Mahdi (CD&V) to talk about the election results.
