Liberals and Christian democrats agree to start negotiations on the formation of a new Flemish Government
It now seems almost certain that the next Flemish Government coalition will be made up of the same parties as the current one. The National Executive Committees of the Flemish Liberal Party Open VLD and the Flemish Christian Democrat Party CD&V have agreed to join negotiation with the Flemish nationalists on the formation of a new Flemish Government. The former Federal Interior Minister Jan Jambon (nationalist) and not Bart De Wever will lead the negotiations.
If the negotiations are successful, Mr Jambon, who is currently the Mayor of Brasschaat in Antwerp Province, will become the next Flemish Prime Minister.
In a press conference held just after 1pm on Monday, Mr Jambon said that the negotiations will under way on Tuesday and that he hopes that a coalition agreement can be reached as soon as possible.
Prior to the elections, Mr De Wever had said that he was his party’s candidate for the post of Flemish Prime Minister, while Mr Jambon was the nationalists’ candidate to become Prime Minister of Belgium. However, this is now no longer the case.
“Coalition of losers”
Now it has become clear which parties will form the next Flemish Government, the far-right Vlaams Belang has switch to full opposition mode.
The party had held talks with Mr De Wever several times prior to the nationalist leaders’ decision to ask the liberals and the Christian democrats to form a government with the nationalists. Both on social media and in an interview with VRT News. The party and its leader has dubbed the likely new coalition as “a coalition of losers”.