Belgium has sworn in a new prime minister, Bart De Wever, who has long been associated with advocating for the breakup of the nation and granting more autonomy to Flanders. In a symbolic gesture, De Wever took the oath of allegiance to King Philippe, marking a shift from his previous stance against Belgian unity.
The new government aims to strike a balance between Dutch-speaking Flanders, francophone Wallonia, and multilingual Brussels. The cabinet members took their oaths in both Dutch and French, reflecting the linguistic diversity of the country.
De Wever's appointment comes after a 7-month deadlock in coalition talks, with his Flemish nationalist N-VA party forming a coalition with an eclectic mix of five parties. The government's priorities include budget cleanup, social policy reforms, work incentives, migration policy changes, nuclear phase-out reversal, and safety investments.
One notable issue is the lack of gender balance in the new government, with only three women among the 15 cabinet members and none among the vice premiers. Despite this, the coalition government holds a comfortable majority in the House.
The coalition faces challenges in addressing Belgium's debt, which stands at over 100% of GDP, ranking among the highest in the EU. The government program includes social benefit cuts to tackle the nation's financial burden while striving to maintain the welfare system.
The lengthy coalition talks underscore the difficulty of bridging ideological gaps between the diverse parties involved in the government formation process.
