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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Belgian MPs support crisis leader | Belgian MPs support crisis leader |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| Belgium's parliament has backed a new interim government appointed to end the country's six-month political crisis. | Belgium's parliament has backed a new interim government appointed to end the country's six-month political crisis. |
| Belgium's caretaker Prime Minister, Guy Verhofstadt, won a vote of confidence on Sunday by 97 votes to 46. | Belgium's caretaker Prime Minister, Guy Verhofstadt, won a vote of confidence on Sunday by 97 votes to 46. |
| King Albert appointed him last Thursday for a three-month term. Coalition talks had failed to reconcile party leaders. | King Albert appointed him last Thursday for a three-month term. Coalition talks had failed to reconcile party leaders. |
| Belgium's Dutch-speaking Flemish majority and the French-speaking Walloons remain deeply divided over questions of regional autonomy. | Belgium's Dutch-speaking Flemish majority and the French-speaking Walloons remain deeply divided over questions of regional autonomy. |
| Mr Verhofstadt, a Dutch-speaking Liberal, has pledged to spend the next three months drafting a new budget, tackling rising prices and preparing reforms to devolve more power to the regions. | Mr Verhofstadt, a Dutch-speaking Liberal, has pledged to spend the next three months drafting a new budget, tackling rising prices and preparing reforms to devolve more power to the regions. |
| In March his five-party cabinet will hand power to Yves Leterme's Flemish Christian Democrats - the winners of the 10 June elections. | In March his five-party cabinet will hand power to Yves Leterme's Flemish Christian Democrats - the winners of the 10 June elections. |
| Mr Leterme remains determined to fulfil his election pledge to devolve more power to the regions. Walloon politicians especially dislike Flemish plans to loosen federal control over taxation and social security. | |
| Mr Leterme is deputy prime minister and minister for the budget, transport and institutional reform in the 14-member interim government, which includes politicians from the French-speaking community. |