tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15209462364232641492009-10-13T15:32:26.921+02:00Crisis in Belgiumblog about the present political crisis in Belgium, as events unfoldRolf Falterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12158226029966144012noreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1520946236423264149.post-45166186082578004622007-12-21T11:12:00.000+01:002008-12-10T23:37:10.581+01:00End of a crisis, at least for a moment
There is, at least formally, a new government in Belgium. The political crisis is over, for the time being. The subject for this blog no longer exists. So we bring it here to an end. Or should we say: we just take a break?
The very fragile coalition that has been put together by Guy Verhofstadt for officialy no longer than three months, can break apart at any moment. The new crisis will then Rolf Falterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12158226029966144012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1520946236423264149.post-81043237881524506882007-12-19T18:09:00.000+01:002008-12-10T23:37:10.778+01:00At last, some kind of government
Outgoing prime minister Guy Verhofstadt (picture) succeeded at last, on Wednesday morning at 1.30 a.m., to form a new government in Belgium, 192 days after the elections of June the 10th. The new coalition of liberals, christian democrats and Walloon socialists, will start as a so-called ‘interim-government’ for three months.
Guy Verhofstadt received Joëlle Milquet, the leader of the Walloon Rolf Falterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12158226029966144012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1520946236423264149.post-18654571556906258992007-12-18T18:27:00.000+01:002008-12-10T23:37:11.036+01:00Power struggle in WallonyThe attempt of Belgian prime minister Guy Verhofstadt to start a new cabinet after 191 days without government ran into trouble on Tuesday. A power struggle between the two main Walloon parties, the socialists and the liberals, made compromise almost impossible.
Verhofstadt met the four party presidents of the Flemish Christian democrats and liberals and of the Walloon socialists and liberals Rolf Falterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12158226029966144012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1520946236423264149.post-81017629388131373752007-12-17T22:03:00.000+01:002008-12-10T23:37:11.190+01:00From Christmas to EasterKing Albert II appointed on Monday afternoon the outgoing prime minister of Belgium Guy Verhofstadt (picture) to form and lead a provisional government until Easter. The government has to take themost urgently needed measures for the country. It will consist of the two liberal parties, the Flemish Christian democrats and the Walloon socialist, at least.
Verhofstadt, who had been sent out by the Rolf Falterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12158226029966144012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1520946236423264149.post-73822224716561803142007-12-08T20:00:00.001+01:002008-12-10T23:37:11.359+01:00Still the same
The outgoing prime minister of Belgium, Guy Verhofstadt, seems to have failed in his attempt to form quickly a caretaker government for a few months. He now has to concentrate his ‘information-mission’ on finding a way to start negotiations on constitutional reform.
Guy Verhofstadt, 54, was hailed as the saviour of the country by almost the whole of the Belgian press – in both Flanders and Rolf Falterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12158226029966144012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1520946236423264149.post-33570332457739764022007-12-05T21:29:00.000+01:002008-12-10T23:37:14.267+01:00ON LOCATION: The decline and fall of BurgundyLike each drama, the Belgian crisis is a long story of unusual events on many locations. But do not expect the normal elements of a nationality crisis like bloodshed, riots or huge demonstrations. Most of the scenery had to do with hotels, castles and restaurants.
After all, Brussels was once the capital city of the dukes of Burgundy, who in the fifteenth century for more than 100 years Rolf Falterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12158226029966144012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1520946236423264149.post-26216453630678888182007-12-04T18:55:00.000+01:002008-12-10T23:37:14.483+01:00Enter the prime minister
The outgoing prime minister of Belgium, Guy Verhofstadt (picture), started Tuesday his consultations to seek a way out of the political crisis. In an unusual step king Albert asked him to do so the evening before.
Verhofstadt, prime minister of Belgium since 1999 and a Flemish liberal, was received by King Albert on Sunday and twice on Monday. The king seems to have consulted Didier Reynders, Rolf Falterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12158226029966144012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1520946236423264149.post-13805044012763217902007-12-01T20:00:00.000+01:002008-12-10T23:37:14.644+01:00"A deep crisis of the regime"
After two full months of negotiations Yves Leterme, the strongman of the Flemish Christian democrats, handed Saturday afternoon for the second time his mission as formateur of the next government back to king Albert. On the 174th day without a government it is now obvious that Belgium is going through one of the worst political crises of its 177 years of existence.
Yves Leterme received this Rolf Falterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12158226029966144012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1520946236423264149.post-47663336293115384372007-11-30T19:51:00.000+01:002008-12-10T23:37:14.798+01:00Seconds from disaster (part two)
Formateur Yves Leterme (picture: belga press agency) has made this evening what seems to be his last proposal of a procedure for constitutional reforms to the four parties of a possible orange-blue coalition. He wants an answer tomorrow in the morning.
Leterme held the whole week long discreet negotiatons with his potential coalition partners, the Flemish and Walloon Christian democrats and Rolf Falterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12158226029966144012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1520946236423264149.post-7681922548542321012007-11-28T10:02:00.000+01:002008-12-10T23:37:14.982+01:00No landing, no crash
For a few hours on Monday it looked like the orange-blue parties had finally reached an agreement about handling nationalistic issues under a new government. Then the Flemish nationalist N-VA decided that the last proposals of formateur Leterme were not enough.
Yves Leterme, the two assembly presidents and the four party presidents of Flemish and Walloon Christian democrats and liberals met Rolf Falterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12158226029966144012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1520946236423264149.post-63543344446398681642007-11-25T14:30:00.000+01:002008-12-10T23:37:15.164+01:00Seconds from disaster
The landing of the negotiators of the orange-blue coalition has been postponed once again. Negotiations are shrouded in mystery, but the few indiscretions that get through augur ill.
Such is the complexity of Belgian government negotiations that 167 days after the elections of June the 10th, two go-betweens – the assembly presidents Herman Van Rompuy (Flemish Christian democrat) and Armand De Rolf Falterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12158226029966144012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1520946236423264149.post-81530156310915361242007-11-18T11:32:00.000+01:002008-12-10T23:37:15.417+01:00Last call for orange-blue
Although officially negotiations are at a standstill, formateur Yves Leterme is discreetly trying to make a final attempt to form an orange-blue coalition. The next week might really be the decisive one.
Two days after the latest nationalistic incident about three French-speaking mayors in three villages near Brussels that lie in the Flemish region, Didier Reynders, the leader of the Walloon Rolf Falterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12158226029966144012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1520946236423264149.post-39974117473659729332007-11-15T14:55:00.001+01:002008-12-10T23:37:15.492+01:00A major row
Walloon parties reacted angrily on Thursday, after the Flemish minister of the Interior, Marino Keulen (Flemish liberal of the VLD), decided not to confirm the nomination of three French-speaking mayors in Flemish villages around Brussels. Meanwhile attempts continue to be made to start negotiations between Flemish and Walloon parties.
Keulen (picture) announced his decision on Rolf Falterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12158226029966144012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1520946236423264149.post-19692205629255520162007-11-12T20:23:00.000+01:002008-12-10T23:37:15.670+01:00Another royal initiative Boy, what a mess
King Albert II of Belgium for the first time in three months formally consulted the presidents of other parties than the liberals and Christian democrats. The deadlock on the nationalistic issues between Flemish and Walloon parties seems greater than ever.
King Albert II received the presidents of both Flemish and Walloon greens and Rolf Falterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12158226029966144012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1520946236423264149.post-71090992035978895082007-11-09T21:16:00.000+01:002007-11-09T21:19:19.104+01:00Who's turn to take a U-turn?The royal intervention of Thursday in government negotiations in Belgium seems to have had only limited effect. The parties that officially still want to form an orange blue coalition, were pressed from all sides and once again infighting.
‘What a U-turn!’ was the almost unanimous tone of the articles in the Flemish newspapers Friday morning after the royal statement of Thursday afternoon. In Rolf Falterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12158226029966144012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1520946236423264149.post-83222906021536191272007-11-09T08:50:00.000+01:002007-11-09T08:53:00.705+01:00A royal intervention
King Albert II confirmed the Flemish Christian democrat Yves Leterme as formateur on Thursday afternoon. But he also proposed to let two assembly-presidents form a committee of so-called ‘wise men’ to discuss constitutional reform. First reactions were clearly more skeptical on the Flemish than on the Walloon side of the Belgian divide.
The day was full of rather emotional Walloon reactions onRolf Falterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12158226029966144012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1520946236423264149.post-21348275195247855892007-11-08T09:16:00.000+01:002007-11-08T09:19:18.626+01:00Crisis, it seemsOn the 150th day of government negotiations in Belgium, tensions rose to a new high. In a key vote in a commission of the Lower House on a proposal about the electoral district of Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde Wednesday, the Flemish parties used their numerical majority to push the Walloons aside.
A break of four days in the negotiations for an orange-blue coalition should have brought rest in the Rolf Falterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12158226029966144012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1520946236423264149.post-46055345566237002362007-11-01T11:19:00.000+01:002008-12-10T23:37:15.930+01:00A break before the endgame Yves Leterme: a welcome break
Negotiators for the orange-blue coalition are taking a break until Monday. Before they left for sometimes far-away destinations, they spinned that they had almost reached a government agreement. Except for the most controversial items.
The Flemish Christian democratic formateur Yves Leterme and his fellow-negotiators from four parties (Flemish and Walloon Rolf Falterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12158226029966144012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1520946236423264149.post-30920459542667486382007-10-28T20:47:00.000+01:002008-12-10T23:37:16.034+01:00Raising the stakes
The presidents of the Flemish christian democrat and liberal parties have put what amounts to an ultimatum on the negotiating table for an orange blue coalition. Or haven’t they?
While formateur Yves Leterme and the negotiators in the parliament building last week continued to give press conferences about new agreements on different policies for the next government, nationalist tensions were Rolf Falterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12158226029966144012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1520946236423264149.post-1542577770616865672007-10-23T21:01:00.000+02:002008-12-10T23:37:16.212+01:00Preparations for the final clash
In the last week negotiators of the orange-blue parties around formateur Yves Leterme added almost a chapter a day to the agreement for the next government. But as the end is nearing, tensions over the final hot issues start inevitably to rise again.
To the outside world Leterme and his fellow-negotiators (see the picture, taken in one of the rooms of the parliament building)–with no longer Rolf Falterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12158226029966144012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1520946236423264149.post-43917921977341055852007-10-16T21:00:00.000+02:002008-12-10T23:37:16.372+01:00Land in sight Go, comrades, and conquer ...
After four months of hesitation, negotiations for an orange-blue coalition are finally getting into full swing. The socialist parties have settled for a new role as his majesty’s federal opposition.
Formateur Yves Leterme and the four presidents of the christan democratic and liberal parties reached an Rolf Falterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12158226029966144012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1520946236423264149.post-52570391651498453392007-10-13T09:32:00.001+02:002007-10-13T09:32:53.219+02:00Final Fantasy on BelgiumHundred and twenty five-days without a government have stimulated the creativity of many Belgians. This has not resulted in a flow of angry and passionate messages, as might have been expected in a nationality-crisis. No, in a very much Belgian way, many of its inhabitants start to expose the irony, the absurdity and the plain surrealism of the situation. And they practise nowhere more than in Rolf Falterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12158226029966144012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1520946236423264149.post-13821743633743662152007-10-13T09:31:00.001+02:002007-10-13T09:31:57.274+02:00Charming – and already nine months old - is Ik hou van jou/je t’aime, playing a children’s tune of the national anthem, the Brabançonne, with lyrics in both Ducth and French, showing all sterotype-images of the country, but in the end leaving the question open if Belgiums is a non-country to love or to laugh at.Rolf Falterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12158226029966144012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1520946236423264149.post-11933664311308865982007-10-12T20:56:00.001+02:002007-10-12T20:56:44.313+02:00A little juwel is Hey Yves Leterme, a lyric written in Dutch by two young popular radio-presentators Peter Van de Veire and Sofie Lemaire, of the Flemish broadcast Studio Brussel. They sing the text on the fragile music of ‘Hey There Delilah’ from the US-band Plain White T’s. And it is all about poor Yves Leterme, the Flemish christian democrat strongman, who had a huge triumph on election day, Rolf Falterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12158226029966144012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1520946236423264149.post-64525508743572452622007-10-12T20:55:00.001+02:002007-10-12T20:55:54.389+02:00Not bad either is Belgique en crise, a slightly ironic video on the tones of ‘Non, non, rien à changé’, the nineteen-seventies hit of the French children-band Les Poppys. And although it is in French, it clearly was made by a Flemish director, a certain Marcia.
Rolf Falterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12158226029966144012noreply@blogger.com0