Belgium in crisis

Guy Verhofstadt is trying to get Belgium’s main political parties to come to a compromise

Belgium is a country in crisis. It has been a state without a government for almost six months due to the inability of Flemish and French-speaking politicians to build a coalition government.

Negotiations to fix the problem broke down last week, but now Guy Verhofstadt, the caretaker prime minister, is back on the job trying to get Belgium’s main political parties to come to a compromise.

The crisis dates back to June 10, when the Flemish Christian Democrats, who demand greater autonomy for Flanders, came in first with a fifth of the seats in parliament.

 

That party’s set of reforms included putting more power in the regional governments. But the French-speaking Walloons are heavily dependent on funding from Flanders and they refuse to participate in building a coalition government.
 
So can both sides reach a compromise? And if they do not, does it mean the end of Belgium?

 

 

 

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