Belgium Headed for New Government as PM Set to Resign After General Election

Belgium is on the brink of forming a new government after a general election in which the anticipated surge for the far-right party Vlaams Belang did not materialize. The outgoing governing coalition, led by liberal Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, lost its ability to form a majority.

The nationalist party N-VA (New Flemish Alliance), Vlaams Belang’s arch-rival, is set to remain the largest party in Belgium's parliament. Meanwhile, De Croo’s liberal party, Open VLD, saw a significant decline in Flanders, the Dutch-speaking part of the country.

N-VA leader Bart De Wever, whose party won the elections, stated, "Our obituaries were written, but we won these elections," positioning himself as a strong contender to become Belgium’s next prime minister.

Prime Minister De Croo will serve as a caretaker until a new coalition, currently involving seven parties, is established. He is expected to submit his resignation to King Philippe on Monday at the royal palace in Brussels.

"This is a particularly difficult evening for us, the signal from the voters has been clear," De Croo told supporters, visibly emotional.

The French-speaking liberal party Mouvement Reformateur emerged as the largest party in Brussels and French-speaking Wallonia, foreshadowing months of complex coalition negotiations.

Belgians participated in triple elections on the same day, casting votes for regional and European elections as well. Preliminary results showed significant gains for the far-right in these elections.

With over 90% of the votes counted, N-VA held a clear lead over Vlaams Belang. De Croo’s party dropped to the ninth position, according to partial results published by the interior ministry.

Despite securing approximately 22% of the vote for the Flemish parliament and 14% for the federal parliament, Vlaams Belang is expected to remain excluded from power. The anti-immigration, Eurosceptic party had hoped for a dominant performance to secure a role in the regional government, similar to the success of their ally Geert Wilders in the Netherlands.