New Belgian government sworn in under Prime Minister Bart De Wever

Monday 03 February 2025 - 17:05

On Monday, Belgium's newly appointed Prime Minister, Bart De Wever, along with his federal government ministers, took the oath of office before King Philippe of Belgium. This follows the successful completion of a coalition agreement among five political parties.

De Wever, leader of the Flemish nationalist N-VA party, swore allegiance in the country's three official languages: French, Dutch, and German. He was followed by fourteen ministers from the coalition, which includes the liberal Mouvement Réformateur (MR), the centrist Engagés, the socialist Vooruit, and the center-right CD&V, alongside N-VA.

The new cabinet comprises five Deputy Prime Ministers: David Clarinval (MR), Maxime Prévot (Engagés), Frank Vandenbroucke (Vooruit), Vincent Van Peteghem (CD&V), and Jan Jambon (N-VA). Key positions include Maxime Prévot, now Minister of Foreign Affairs; Theo Francken (N-VA) overseeing Defense and Foreign Trade; Annelies Verlinden (CD&V) as Justice Minister; Jan Jambon as Finance Minister; Vincent Van Peteghem managing the Budget; and Bernard Quintin (MR) taking charge of Interior Affairs.

The government is notably less gender-balanced than its predecessor, with only four women among its fifteen members, compared to the previous cabinet's gender parity, which included two female Deputy Prime Ministers.

De Wever will soon participate in his first European Council meeting, scheduled for 11 AM (local time) at the Egmont Palace in Brussels. The informal meeting will focus on European defense matters, with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte in attendance.

The formation of the new government follows intense negotiations that lasted seven months after the June 9 legislative elections. The agreement was finalized late Friday, following a marathon session of nearly sixty hours of continuous discussions between the party leaders.

Belgium's complex political system has made marathon negotiations a common feature, as evidenced by the previous government, which took 653 days to form.