After eight months of negotiations, Belgium's next Federal Government has been formed. Formator Bart De Wever (N-VA) is going to tell the King that the five 'Arizona' parties have finally reached a coalition agreement.
A striking 234 days after the 9 June elections, Belgium finally has a new government. After a three-day "conclave" at the Royal Military School in Brussels, the negotiators from the so-called 'Arizona' parties (right-wing N-VA, liberals MR, centrists Les Engagés, socialists Vooruit and Christian Democrats CD&V) reached an agreement.
In the run-up to De Wever's appointment with Belgium's King Philippe at 18:00 on Friday, the parties locked themselves in for a "48-hour marathon negotiation session."
Most thematic discussions (on issues such as defence, asylum and migration, climate, mobility, governance and public health) were concluded successfully, but the key topics in De Wever's infamous socioeconomic 'supernote' to get Belgium's budget back on track proved to be the real sticking points. Those are reforms of the labour market, the pensions system and taxes.
Many attempts to find agreements on these topics were made since the summer, but negotiations hit a wall every time. As a result of a deadlock over the capital gains tax, De Wever even briefly resigned as formator at the end of August.
The press pictured outside a meeting to discuss a possible coalition for the Federal Government, on Friday 31 January 2025 at the Royal Military School in Brussels. Credit: Belga / Hatim Kaghat
Particularly Vooruit, as the only left-of-centre party in an otherwise centre-right coalition, repeatedly took issue with the measures put forward. But the same has been true for centrists Les Engagés and CD&V in recent weeks, albeit to a lesser extent.
In the last negotiation session before De Wever, however, it was reportedly MR leader Georges-Louis Bouchez who refused to accept the terms on the table. He felt that the proposals on the 'supernote' had moved too much to the left. In the end, however, a sufficient compromise was reportedly found for De Wever to go and present to the King.
After meeting the king
The negotiators stayed until around 05:00 on Saturday morning to integrate the final negotiated elements into the agreement text. No comments were made as they left the Royal Military Academy but MR President Georges-Louis Bouchez addressed journalists shortly before their departure.
Bouchez stated that ministerial portfolios have not yet been distributed, with a deadline set for Monday to decide these roles. He indicated that the future Prime Minister would present the agreement "in the coming hours."
The agreement will now be subjected to party membership approval through party congresses.
Vooruit will begin this process on Saturday at 17:00 in Sint-Niklaas. On Sunday, the other four parties will hold their congresses: N-VA in Antwerp and MR in Brussels at 10:00, Les Engagés in Liège, and CD&V in Waasmunster at 17:30.
What are the next steps?
The 'Arizona' parties must now start gathering their party congresses to give their final go-ahead for the concluded coalition agreement. Normally, such a congress is no more than a formality, but it is still possible that a party can halt progress by not accepting the terms.
As the formation of the Federal Government officially lies with the King, according to Article 96 of the Belgian Consitution, he is the one who needs to sign off on the coalition agreement and the new team of ministers.
N-VA leader Bart De Wever and King Philippe after a meeting at the Royal Palace, Tuesday 12 November 2024. Credit: Belga/Dirk Waem
However, the parties will first have to decide who they will put forward as ministers and present their candidates to the other parties. This will likely happen this weekend. Only if no objections arise and everyone agrees on the distribution of the responsibilities can the team be presented to the King.
While the King has to power to refuse a new government or any of the ministers, this has never happened.
Once the King swears in the new government, he signs the Royal Decrees confirming their appointments before introducing the new team of ministers to the press and the public on the steps of the Royal Palace.
Later that day, the new Prime Minister will present the new government and their coalition agreement in the Federal Parliament. Immediately after, the first plenary session begins and the government gets to work.
