2019–20 Belgian government formation

Following the simultaneous federal elections and regional elections of 26 May 2019, negotiations started to form a new Federal Government as well as new regional governments: a Flemish, Walloon, French Community, German Community and Brussels Government.

As the results of the elections had shown again the big difference in voting preference between Wallonia (left) and Flanders (right), it quickly became apparent that forming a new Federal Government would not be easy. While the Government of the German-speaking Community was formed only a few days after the elections and the Brussels Government was formed one month later, the other regional governments were only formed after the summer, in September and October 2019.

At the federal level, the deadlock was never resolved, but nevertheless, a new government was formed in March 2020. Its mission is only to fight against the coronavirus,[1] as several of the opposing parties agreed to support a new Wilmès II Government identical to the current caretaker Wilmès I Government to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic in Belgium, de-facto ending the search for a new government. In reality however, it remains to be seen what will happen after the support period of the opposition parties ends (ultimately at the end of June 2020). In late June, a new government will need to be formed or the current Wilmès II Government mandate needs to be extended.[2]

Overview

	Outgoing coalition		Next coalition		Sworn in
Federal Government	Michel II (Wilmès I)	Flemish side CD&V Open Vld French side MR	Wilmès II	Flemish side CD&V Open Vld French side MR	17 March 2020
Flemish Government	Bourgeois (Homans)	N-VA CD&V Open Vld	Jambon	N-VA CD&V Open Vld	2 October 2019
French Community Government	Demotte III	PS cdH	Jeholet	PS Ecolo MR	17 September 2019
Walloon Government	Borsus	MR cdH	Di Rupo III	PS Ecolo MR	13 September 2019
Brussels Government	Vervoort II	French side PS Défi cdH Flemish side Open Vld sp.a CD&V	Vervoort III	French side PS Ecolo Défi Flemish side Groen Open Vld one.brussels-sp.a	17 July 2019
German-speaking Community Govt.	Paasch I	ProDG PFF PS	Paasch II	ProDG PFF PS	17 June 2019

All ministers-president and all federal ministers take the oath before King Philippe.

Federal government

Timeline

King Philippe appointed Didier Reynders (MR) and Johan Vande Lanotte (sp.a) as informateurs. They are tasked with looking for possibilities to form a government coalition.[3]

On 8 October, the King appointed two preformateurs: Geert Bourgeois (N-VA) and Rudy Demotte (PS), each being a former minister-president and member of the largest party in respectively Flanders and Wallonia. The remaining parties in the negotiations were N-VA, PS, sp.a, CD&V, Open Vld and MR. Two weeks later, both Green parties were invited again.

They did not succeed in finding a coalition of parties, upon which the King appointed PS leader Paul Magnette as informateur on 5 November.

Two likely coalitions are:

"Purple-yellow": socialists (PS + sp.a) + liberals (MR + Open Vld) + Flemish nationalists (N-VA)
"Purple-green": socialists (PS + sp.a) + liberals (MR + Open Vld) + Greens (Ecolo + Groen)

A negotiation paper of Magnette's leaked to the media on 27 November, which contained significantly left-leaning proposals, indicating a push for a purple-green coalition. On 1 December, it turned out that those parties held a meeting unbeknownst to N-VA and CD&V. The paper was also unacceptable to many within Open Vld.

On 10 December 2019, the King appointed Joachim Coens (CD&V) and Georges-Louis Bouchez (MR) as informateurs. Both had at that moment become leader of their respective party only days earlier. They concluded that both likely coalitions (purple-yellow or purple-green) were not yet sufficiently viable and other options needed to be considered as well.

In January 2020, federal representative Emir Kir was excluded from the PS, leaving the purple-green without a majority. Hence, CD&V has become indispensable for political reasons to form such coalition.

In a move seen largely as his own initiative, King Philippe appointed federal Minister of Justice and senior CD&V politician Koen Geens as “Royal assignment holder” with the task to look for any possible coalitions. However, his party quickly ruled out joining a purple-green coalition, which left Geens focussing on bringing PS and N-VA closer together to form a “purple-yellow” coalition, with CD&V probably taking Open VLD’s place therein. It is said that progress to this purpose was made and several amicable meetings took place between Paul Magnette and Bart De Wever, the presidents of the two antagonized parties.

On 10 February, Geens' assignment was prolonged for one week. In a sudden change of events, PS president Paul Magnette staunchly ruled out a coalition with N-VA on all media platforms of the country. Seeing his task as no longer purposeful, Geens returned to the King that evening and was relieved of his duties.

On 16 February, Geens vehemently disapproved the PS' statements from Friday and blamed them for bringing the stability of the country in danger.

On March 17, 2020, the Wilmès II Government government had its mandate extended, with external support from most parliamentary parties, in order to manage the coronavirus pandemic. Informal talks on forming a new government began in June of 2020.[4] In June the government formation talk started again. King Philippe appointed the MR's, Open VLD's and CD&V's party leaders as informateurs.

Flemish government

On 12 August, N-VA released a starting note intended to form the basis of a continued governing coalition of N-VA, CD&V and Open Vld. Jan Jambon will likely become Minister-President.[5] The government was not formed in time for the traditional "September Declaration", when the Minister-President gives a speech to the Flemish Parliament at the start of the parliamentary year.

Government of the German-speaking Community

A few days after the elections, the incumbent coalition of ProDG, SP and PFF agreed to continue governing. Oliver Paasch remained Minister-President. On Monday 17 June 2019, the four ministers took the oath in front of the Parliament of the German-speaking Community and the next day the Minister-President took the oath in front of King Philippe.

References

"Formation fédérale - Un gouvernement de plein exercice mais dont le périmètre se limitera au coronavirus". RTL Info (in French). R. T. L. Newmedia. Belga. 16 March 2020. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
"Kamer geeft goedkeuring: regering-Wilmès II krijgt volmachten tot eind juni". Nieuwsblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 29 May 2020.
"Koning stelt Didier Reynders (MR) en Johan Vande Lanotte (SP.A) aan als informateur". Gazet van Antwerpen. 30 May 2019.
https://crisisinbelgium.blogspot.com/2020/06/mission-impossible.html
"Het is nu officieel: N-VA, CD&V en Open VLD willen Vlaamse regering vormen met Jan Jambon aan het hoofd". VRTNWS. 12 August 2019.

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[1] "Formation fédérale - Un gouvernement de plein exercice mais dont le périmètre se limitera au coronavirus". RTL Info (in French). R. T. L. Newmedia. Belga. 16 March 2020. Retrieved 19 March 2020.

[2] "Kamer geeft goedkeuring: regering-Wilmès II krijgt volmachten tot eind juni". Nieuwsblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 29 May 2020.

[3] "Koning stelt Didier Reynders (MR) en Johan Vande Lanotte (SP.A) aan als informateur". Gazet van Antwerpen. 30 May 2019.

[4] ttps://crisisinbelgium.blogspot.com/2020/06/mission-impossible.html

[5] "Het is nu officieel: N-VA, CD&V en Open VLD willen Vlaamse regering vormen met Jan Jambon aan het hoofd". VRTNWS. 12 August 2019.