Prime minister Michel breaks approval ratings record

Voter confidence in Belgium's prime minister has never been greater, as the current PM Charles Michel's 71% approval rating tops the previous record set by Guy Verhofstadt in March 2008.

Verhofstadt remains champion, however, when it comes to the highest confidence score for a federal government in Belgium, which peaked at 58% in December 2006, although Michel's government is not too far behind with 56%, reports De Standaard.

Ironically, the French-speaking prime minister is most popular in the Flemish region, where he has a 69% approval rating, 10 points higher than his predecessor Elio Di Rupo, and significantly higher than Yves Leterme before him.

While Michel may be the third most popular politician in Flanders, the popularity contest won't do him any good in the region's voting booths.

Voters in Wallonia are less keen on Michel, who came in fourth place in the last poll conducted by Le Soir, trailing behind Maggie De Block, Didier Reynders and Elio Di Rupo.