BRUSSELS – After more than a month of negotiations, the make-up of the new government for Belgium’s Flanders region finally emerged on Tuesday.

The main coalition partners will be the Christian Democrats (CD&V-N-VA), Flemish Liberals (VLD) and the left-wing Spirit Party.

On Tuesday they unveiled an 85-page document setting out their priorities.

The new government aims to boost employment, improve healthcare, slash red tape and promote Flanders.

Ten new ministers will be charged with pushing the programme forward under the leadership of CD&V-N-VA Minister-President Yves Leterme.

Leterme will be sworn in on Thursday 22 July at 11.30 when the names of the ministers will also be announced.

The agreement reached late on Monday night by the government coalition puts more emphasis on enterprise and employment and on greater access to decent accommodation.

One priority will be greater access to decent accommodation by making more plots of land available for new buildings.

There will also be a greater emphasis on road safety.

The extreme right Vlaams Blok will not have a place in the new administration despite fielding the second most popular list of candidates in June’s regional elections in Flanders.

[Copyright Expatica 2004]

Subject: Belgian News