Belgian government to face confidence vote in parliament

The minority government of Belgian Prime Minister Sophie Wilmès faces a vote of confidence in parliament today.

Wilmès was granted temporary emergency powers at the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, but Belgium has not had a stable majority government since December 2018. Though an uncontroversial figure in a nation deeply riven by a socialist, francophone south and a conservative, Flemish north, Wilmès has not sought to win renewed confidence in parliament.

In the meantime, King Philippe has asked Egbert Laechaert, leader of the Flemish Liberal Party, to form a “Vivaldi coalition” government consisting of Liberals, Socialists, Greens, and Christian Democrats. However, expect this fractious alliance, which is likely to form by October 1, to struggle to reach an agreement on implementing public re-opening measures, managing Belgium’s sizeable debt and addressing growing separatist fervour in the north. Thus, it is likely that Belgium will schedule another election in the near future with the hopes it will break the country’s seemingly endless deadlock.

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