King appoints Geert Bourgeois and Rudy Demotte as “Preformateurs”

King Filip has appointed the Flemish nationalist Geert Bourgeois and the Francophone socialist Rudy Demotte as “preformateurs”. Their task will be to help pave the way for talks to begin on the formation of a new federal coalition government. They will report to the King on the progress of their mission on Monday 4 November. 

In a statement released on Tuesday morning it was said that "They will examine the concrete basis for the formation of a federal government in which their respective parties will form a pivotal role. Both Mr Bourgeois and Mr Demotte have said that they will carry out their mission with the upmost discretion.

A former Flemish Prime Minister, Mr Bourgeois is currently a member of the European Parliament. He has a long political career behind his respresenting the now-defuct Volksunie and later N-VA a party that he helped set-up after the Volksunie imploded.

Mr Demotte too has a lot of political experience. He was Mayor of his home village of Flobecq and later was Mayor of Tournai after he moved there. An has served as a Federal Minister, as well as Prime Minister in the Governments of the Francophone Language Community and the Walloon Region.

Coming from a municipality along the language border and having family in East Flanders, Mr Demotte speaks excellent Dutch. Mr Bourgeois’ French is also of a high level.     

   

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