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| New Belgian cabinet ends crisis | New Belgian cabinet ends crisis |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A new Belgian government has been sworn in, ending months of political deadlock which threatened to split the country. | A new Belgian government has been sworn in, ending months of political deadlock which threatened to split the country. |
| Yves Leterme, of the Flemish Christian Democrats, will head a coalition of Dutch and French-speaking parties. | Yves Leterme, of the Flemish Christian Democrats, will head a coalition of Dutch and French-speaking parties. |
| Mr Leterme's party had been seeking more devolution for the Dutch-speaking regions - a move strongly resisted by the French-speaking groups. | Mr Leterme's party had been seeking more devolution for the Dutch-speaking regions - a move strongly resisted by the French-speaking groups. |
| But an agreement with the Francophone parties was hammered out after marathon talks on Tuesday. | But an agreement with the Francophone parties was hammered out after marathon talks on Tuesday. |
| Political time bomb | Political time bomb |
| Mr Leterme and his five-party coalition government were officially sworn in by King Albert II at the royal palace in Brussels. | Mr Leterme and his five-party coalition government were officially sworn in by King Albert II at the royal palace in Brussels. |
| The existence of a united Belgium is an accident of history Yves Leterme, new Belgian PM What hope for new cabinet? | |
| The coalition includes Mr Leterme's Flemish Christian Democrats from the north as well as Socialists from the French-speaking region of Wallonia in the south. | The coalition includes Mr Leterme's Flemish Christian Democrats from the north as well as Socialists from the French-speaking region of Wallonia in the south. |
| The new cabinet replaces that of caretaker PM Guy Verhofstadt, whose resignation was accepted by the king. | The new cabinet replaces that of caretaker PM Guy Verhofstadt, whose resignation was accepted by the king. |
| 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. |
| That constitutional reform issue will be handled by a special panel of elder statesmen who will try to come up with a set of proposals. | That constitutional reform issue will be handled by a special panel of elder statesmen who will try to come up with a set of proposals. |
| But Mr Leterme's party has warned that if it does not get what it wants by mid-July it will walk out of the government. | But Mr Leterme's party has warned that if it does not get what it wants by mid-July it will walk out of the government. |
| So even as new ministers are being sworn in, a political time bomb is ticking, the BBC's Dominic Hughes in Brussels says. | So even as new ministers are being sworn in, a political time bomb is ticking, the BBC's Dominic Hughes in Brussels says. |
| Wallonia fears | Wallonia fears |
| Mr Leterme had promised his supporters even more devolved powers for regional governments in a country that is already Europe's most decentralised state. | Mr Leterme had promised his supporters even more devolved powers for regional governments in a country that is already Europe's most decentralised state. |
| In Wallonia - where unemployment is higher and the economy sluggish - there were fears this would leave their region worse off. | In Wallonia - where unemployment is higher and the economy sluggish - there were fears this would leave their region worse off. |
| The Flemish Christian Democrats won elections in June 2007 but until Tuesday was unable to reach agreement on a coalition. | The Flemish Christian Democrats 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. | 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. | The European Commission had warned that the political paralysis was beginning to affect Belgium's economy. |
| Are you in Belgium? What is your reaction to the formation of a new government? Do you welcome the end of the country's political deadlock? Send us your comments using the form below. | Are you in Belgium? What is your reaction to the formation of a new government? Do you welcome the end of the country's political deadlock? Send us your comments using the form below. |