As in many other European Union countries, the far right is gaining ground in Belgium too. Yet Vlaams Belang, the ultranationalist party from Flanders, has not managed to overtake the Flemish liberals of the N-VA to become the leading political force north of the country in the federal, regional, and European elections held this Sunday. This setback signals the continuation of the so‑called sanitary cordon, a strategy used by the other parties for three decades to keep far‑right influence away from power, even as negotiations to form a government are just beginning. (attribution: European political coverage)
As in every election cycle, the ballots produce winners and losers. With 24 seats out of 150 in the Chamber of Representatives, the Flemish nationalists led by the mayor of Antwerp, Bart De Wever, will remain the largest group in the federal Belgian Parliament but with one seat fewer than in 2019. Next in seats are the Francophone Liberals of the MR, who gain six seats and end up with 20, and the ultraright Vlaams Belang, which increases its tally by two. (attribution: Belgian election results)
The Francophone socialists lose four seats, ending with 16, while the Flemish socialists gain four, reaching 13 deputies for a combined total of 29 seats—the largest political family in the country. Among the major losers, as seen across Europe, are the liberals of Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, who has stepped down and will present his resignation to the king, and the greens, who fall sharply to just 9 seats in the next federal Parliament from the 21 that Ecolo and Groen had, one north and one south of the country. (attribution: interim government analysis)
The far left PTB-PVDA also consolidates a strong presence with 15 seats in the next federal chamber, while the Christian democrats maintain a place among the Parliament’s blocs. (attribution: party results summary)
Formation of Government
Following the electoral verdict, the next step is to begin negotiations among the parties to form the next federal administration, in addition to regional governments. The Belgian king has launched a consultative process with the leaders of institutions and political groups to appoint a mediator who will explore a possible governing coalition. On Monday, the king is expected to meet Bart De Wever (N-VA), Tom Van Grieken (Vlaams Belang), and Georges-Louis Bouchez (MR). It will be the second time the monarch has received a leader from the far right. (attribution: royal consultations overview)
In the coming days, the rest of the political and business figures will visit the Royal Palace to outline potential government combinations. Once this stage concludes, the king will appoint an informant to survey viable options and, subsequently, a formateur who will steer a process that could stretch for many months. The timeline may be affected by municipal elections scheduled for October, which could deter parties from moving quickly before then. (attribution: constitutional process notes)
In any case, this time fewer parties appear to hold reservations about the N-VA, whose leader could become the next prime minister with a view to pushing for a state reform. (attribution: political forecast)