Coalitievorming in België terug bij af (en)
Belgian negotiations on creating a coalition government following the June elections collapsed once again on Monday (4 October) as Dutch- and French-speaking politicians failed to agree on fundamental reform of the state.
The leader of the Flemish nationalist N-VA party, Bart de Wever, the overall winner at the polls, pulled the plug on the talks saying: "We have to clear the table, put the clocks back to zero and try to start again."
Keen to see more powers devolved to the community level, Mr de Wever placed the blame for the collapse squarely at the door of the francophones. "On the essential question for Flemings, we did not obtain a satisfactory response or this response was negative."
He made the statement after having issued an ultimatum to francophones to accept demands for greater fiscal autonomy by Monday.
French-speaking politicians deplored Mr de Wever's unilateral move. The Socialists, the centre-right (CDH) and the Greens (Ecolo) called the decision "irresponsible" and "damaging to all the citizens of our country."
They also rejected the blame for the failure of the talks. "All parties around the table, except the N-VA, have shown in the past and during these last weeks, their capacity to reach a compromise on the reform of the state, meaning having the courage to make mutual concessions."
The three groups also asked whether the N-VA feared that it could be shown that "their demands would financially strangle the federal state and pose a fundamental threat to social security."
Other Flemish parties at the table were also critical of Mr de Wever. Flemish daily De Morgen reports that the centre-right (CD&V), Socialists (sp.a) and Greens (Groen!) were against Mr de Wever's proposal to return to square one with negotiations.
Belgium is divided into richer Dutch-speaking Flanders, wanting more power for the communities, and subsidy-dependent French-speaking Wallonia, which fears devolution will see it lose out economically.
The post-election discussions between seven political parties have focussed on three issues - the future of francophone suburbs in Brussels that lie within Dutch-speaking Flanders (the issue that caused the collapse of the last government in April), a new federal financing law and the refinancing of the nation's capital Brussels.
The pending sixth state reform since 1970 has only further exposed the deep rifts between the two sides, with French-speaking politicians last month publicly raising the idea of the break-up of the Belgian state - talk that is normally the preserve of Flemish politicians.
It is now up to the Belgian King to name new lead negotiators for the talks, the fourth time he will have done so since June.
Although coalition talks are now entering their 114th day since elections, they are long off the almost nine months needed for the last round of government-forming talks.
The country's difficulties are in the spotlight because it currently holds the EU six-month presidency. Its discussions also reflect a more general debate at European level about solidarity between richer and poorer regions and countries.
As the negotiators continue to struggle and the country rests in the hands of a caretaker government, analysts are increasingly pointing to Belgium's poor economic situation. Its public debt level is expected to reach 100 percent next year.