http://worldcat.org/entity/work/id/1910819616

Belgium 2010 Article IV consultation : staff report, staff supplement, and a public information notice on the Executive Board discussion

1. Belgium is going through a prolonged political impasse resulting from persistent regional tensions. The federal government of Prime Minister Leterme fell in April 2010 over long-standing disagreements on how to reform the bilingual electoral district of Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde. Following early elections in June 2010, negotiations to form a new federal government led by the two largest parties (the New-Flemish Alliance and the francophone Socialist Party) faltered, reflecting inter alia divergent views on further fiscal devolution to be imbedded in another reform of the state (Box 1). Subsequent efforts by the mediator appointed by the King in October to work out a framework for negotiations on a new government program fell through in January 2011. Since then, a new round of talks aims at lifting the political deadlock. While these efforts signal continued willingness to form a federal government, new federal elections cannot be excluded.

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