Negotiators call on liberals to propose a candidate prime minister

Kris Peeters has called on the Flemish and French-speaking liberal parties to put forward a possible candidate to serve as prime minister as soon as possible. Peeters (CD&V) is one of two senior politicians steering the delicate negotiations to form a federal coalition government. Who will serve as prime minister is an important part of the discussion.

The liberals have been invited to propose a candidate in order to balance the government, since CD&V has already been granted the post of European Commissioner, while the Flemish nationalists NV-A, the country’s biggest party, is not interested leading a country that it would prefer to see abolished.

The leading French-speaking liberal candidates are Charles Michel and Didier Reynders, but they come from a small party that has limited support in French-speaking Belgium. On the Flemish side, the most promising candidate is outgoing migration secretary Maggie De Block, who is popular among French-speaking Belgians.

De Block (pictured) is not yet giving any clues as to her response to a possible offer of the prime minister post. At this point, “I’m not saying yes, and I’m not saying no,” she told the press this week.

Peeters has urged the liberals to come up with a name quickly so that the coalition can begin the tough job of lopping €17.3 billion off the budget. “It’s been difficult, and it is going to get even more difficult,” he said.