BRUSSELS, 1 FEB

Political parties in Belgium struck a deal on Friday to form a broad coalition government. The announcement concluded months of talks that followed federal elections in June last year.

The country's new prime minister is set to be the right-wing New Flemish Alliance (N-VA) leader Bart De Wever, who secured victory in the June polls.

De Wever will lead a five-party coalition which includes the Christian Democrats, the liberal Reformist Movement and the Flemish Social Democrats. Together, they hold an 81-seat majority in Belgium's 150-seat Parliament.

The far-right Vlaams Belang (Flemish Interest) party was excluded from the talks, despite it making the largest gains in the June 2024 election.

Political parties consistently exclude Vlaams Belang due to its anti-immigrant and anti-EU stance and aim to divide the country.

Belgium's Royal Palace released a statement, saying that De Wever had reported the agreement of the future coalition to the king. "His mandate has been extended until the appointment of the new government. The date of the swearing-in will be announced later,” the palace said in a post on social media.