This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/europe/7306180.stm
The article has changed 10 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Belgian government to be sworn in | Belgian government to be sworn in |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| A new government is due to be sworn in Belgium, ending nine months of political deadlock which threatened the unity of the country. | A new government is due to be sworn in Belgium, ending nine months of political deadlock which threatened the unity of the country. |
| The new PM is expected to be Yves Leterme of the Flemish Christian Democrats who won last year's election. | The new PM is expected to be Yves Leterme of the Flemish Christian Democrats who won last year's election. |
| The party had been seeking more devolution for Belgium's Dutch-speaking regions - a move strongly resisted by the French-speaking parties. | The party had been seeking more devolution for Belgium's Dutch-speaking regions - a move strongly resisted by the French-speaking parties. |
| But a deal with the Francophone parties was hammered out on Tuesday. | But a deal with the Francophone parties was hammered out on Tuesday. |
| Mr Leterme is due to be sworn in by King Albert II at the royal palace in Brussels later on Thursday. | Mr Leterme is due to be sworn in by King Albert II at the royal palace in Brussels later on Thursday. |
| He will then be heading a five-party coalition, replacing caretaker PM Guy Verhofstadt. | He will then be heading a five-party coalition, replacing caretaker PM Guy Verhofstadt. |
| "It's a good deal for a government with balanced measures," Mr Leterme said earlier this week. | "It's a good deal for a government with balanced measures," Mr Leterme said earlier this week. |
| The new government agenda, which is still to be approved, leaves out references to constitutional reform, concentrating instead on immigration, tax-cuts and pension benefits. | The new government agenda, which is still to be approved, leaves out references to constitutional reform, concentrating instead on immigration, tax-cuts and pension benefits. |
| Mr Leterme's party won elections in June 2007 but until Tuesday was unable to reach agreement on a coalition. | Mr Leterme's party won elections in June 2007 but until Tuesday was unable to reach agreement on a coalition. |
| In December, thousands of trade unionists took to the streets in Brussels, complaining about the political stalemate and rising food and fuel prices. | |
| The European Commission had warned that the political paralysis was beginning to affect Belgium's economy. |