BRUSSELS – Negotiations were well underway on Tuesday to form Belgium’s new regional governments following last Sunday’s elections in Flanders, Brussels and Wallonia.

In Flanders Yves Leterme, leader of the Flemish Christian-Democrat CD&V, took the initiative to form a new coalition government.

The CD&V emerged from Sunday’s poll as the biggest single party in Flanders.

Leterme began his exploratory talks on Tuesday morning but he has already ruled out forming a coalition with the far right Vlaams Blok, which since Sunday has been the second biggest party in the region.

That means Flanders will be ruled by a coalition made up of at least three parties when the new government is formed.

The Flemish green party has said it will not team up with CD&V and most analysts are predicting a government alliance between the Christian Democrats, the socialists and the liberals.

Together the three parties would have 85 seats out of 124 in the Flemish parliament.

In Brussels Charles Picqué of the French speaking socialist party has a number of options open to him after his party emerged as the single largest political force in the capital region on Sunday.

He can continue in his party’s existing coalition with the liberal MR party or do a deal with the Christian Democrat cdH and the French-speaking green party Ecolo.

[Copyright Expatica 2004]

Subject: Belgian news