BRUSSELS – Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt has asked his ministerial colleagues not to quit the country’s federal government to take up posts in the country’s regional administrations, it was reported on Tuesday.

The winning parties in last month’s regional elections in Belgium are in the final stages of putting together new regional governments and analysts say Verhofstadt is worried that some members of his federal team may jump ship to join the new administrations.

In a bid to prevent this happening Verhofstadt has asked all of his ministers not quit the federal government, at least for the time being, the Belga news agency said.

Verhofstadt’s premiership is looking decidedly shaky at present.

Last month he was personally humiliated when UK Premier Tony Blair vetoed his high profile bid to become the next President of the European Commission.

His Flemish Liberal Democrat Party also fared badly in the regional elections, which saw the far right Vlaams Blok emerge as the biggest single political force in Belgium’s Dutch speaking Flanders region.

[Copyright Expatica 2004]

Subject: Belgian news