BRUSSELS, June 26 (Xinhua) -- Belgium's King Philippe has appointed Bart De Wever, president of the New Flemish Alliance (N-VA) and winner of the June 9 legislative elections, as pre-formateur for the discussions aimed at forming a new federal government.
The King received De Wever in an audience at the Royal Palace in Brussels on Wednesday and De Wever has submitted his final report to the King, the Belgian monarchy confirmed on social media. "The King has designated him pre-formateur. He has accepted this mission and will report back to the King on July 10," it said.
De Wever will be engaged in discussions with several political parties, including Arizona, a coalition bringing together negotiation partners in Flanders (N-VA, Vooruit and CD&V) as well as the French-speaking regions of Belgium (MR and Les Engages).
If proven successful in his mission, De Wever is believed to become the new prime minister. He will have to address various challenges including reducing budget deficits and stimulating economic growth.
Due to the economic, social and administrative complexities of Belgium's three regions -- the Flemish, Walloon and Brussels-Capital regions -- and its three linguistic communities speaking Dutch, French and German respectively, the formation of the federal government is typically a lengthy negotiation process. From 2010 to 2011, Belgium set a record of 541 days without a government. ■
