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The eight-year term in office of Guy Verhofstadt, the Prime Minister of Belgium, appeared set to end after voters strongly backed the Flemish Christian Democrats in an election yesterday, early results indicated.
Mr Verhofstadt’s chief rival, Yves Leterme, the Flemish Minister-President, who wants more power devolved to his Dutch-speaking region, was the big winner and is favourite to be the next prime minister if he can build a viable coalition.
Voting is compulsory for the 7.7 million voters in Belgium.
Mr Verhofstadt’s liberals, who share federal power with the socialists, went into the election as the strongest party in Flanders in terms of seats, but slid to third place, according to early results and projections. Mr Leterme’s Christian Democrats and their small nationalist allies N-VA increased their share of the vote to beyond 30 per cent in the northern region that is home to 60 per cent of Belgians.
In French-speaking Wallonia, the Socialist Party slipped after a series of local embezzlement scandals and was running neck and neck with the centre-right liberal Reform Movement.
Ecologist parties made strong gains in both regions, giving them a prospect of entering a coalition. The far-right Flemish nationalist Vlaams Belang also gained some ground.
Voters choose from separate francophone and Flemish party lists, depending on where they live. The federal Government normally consists of majorities in both regions. (Reuters)
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Way to go sista!
Big Up for Lucy!
Alex Van hamme, Antwerp, Belgium
The VB party is NOT "far right" as another of your articles states. It represents the average, genuine Belgian person's concerns over the rapid takeover of Belgium by an alien presence, that of Moslems, who are pushing for greater acceptance of sharia law and for the eventual takeover of Belgium as the first moslem country in Europe. The Mayor of Brussels (whose Council is moslem-dominated) banned a proposed STOP THE ISLAMISATION OF EUROPE peaceful protest planned for Sept 11 at 12 noon in Luxembourg Square because Moslems objected to it but he is permitting a protest march on Sunday 9 Sept by Moslems of a 'MOSLEM DAY' which is anti-American, anti-Jewish and anti-European in its platform. The SIOE protest will go ahead as planned in defiance of the undemocratic Belgian government. These election results may represent the start of the fight back for Europe.
Charles, london,
With the resignation of Guy Verhofstadt, Belgium loses one of the finest prime ministers the country has ever seen. It is unfortunate that the electorate does not acknowledge the great things he has achieved for the Belgian economy and the position of Belgium in the EU. The Flemish Christian-Democrats have won this election on the promise of further devolution of the Flemish region, but that promise will undoubtedly be met with a loud "NON" from the Walloon socialists. These election results will lead to an even further fragmentation of the party political landscape.
lucy van hamme, antwerp, belgium