BRUSSELS — Belgium’s new prime minister, whose political aim has been to dismantle the nation, weaken its institutions, and grant increased autonomy to Flanders at the expense of other regions, has been sworn in.
Bart De Wever took the oath of office on Monday, directly addressing King Philippe, a monarch he previously held in low regard due to the symbol of Belgian unity the monarchy represents.
“I swear allegiance to the king,” he stated.
This event underscores the changing political landscape, where calls for Flemish independence have given way to a pursuit of gradual change and a renewed balance among Dutch-speaking Flanders, French-speaking Wallonia, and multilingual Brussels.
The prime minister and key ministers recited the oath in both Dutch and French, while other members of the 15-person government team used their preferred language during the ceremony at the Royal Palace.
“One cannot participate in a government while waiting for systemic change. I never believed in that approach,” he explained to De Standaard newspaper. “The alternative is to engage when possible, securing benefits for your community, which is what we’ve done.”
“Inaction leads to nothing,” he added.
Linguistic tensions have shaped Belgian history over the past century, as a French-dominated nation evolved into a more balanced political environment amid Wallonia’s economic decline and Flanders’ rise.
De Wever, of the Flemish nationalist N-VA party, succeeds Alexander De Croo, who served as caretaker prime minister since last June’s elections. De Wever will join fellow EU leaders at a summit in Brussels later Monday.
“We will form a government committed to fiscal responsibility, fair social policies that reward work, a firm stance on migration, reversing the nuclear phase-out, and bolstering public safety,” the N-VA stated.
One immediate concern is gender balance. While De Croo’s cabinet achieved near parity, De Wever’s team includes only three women out of 15, and none among the four deputy prime ministers. While expressing regret, he didn’t prioritize gender balance in coalition negotiations.
De Wever united five diverse parties to overcome a seven-month coalition impasse. His success stemmed from the PS socialists, his political rivals, losing their long-held dominance in Wallonia, enabling him to forge an agreement with the free-market MR party.
In Flanders, the Vooruit socialist party will play a crucial role in safeguarding Belgium’s welfare state. The government program plans to reduce social benefits to address the nation’s substantial debt, exceeding 100% of GDP—among the highest in the 27-nation EU.
With Vooruit, the francophone MR liberals, the centrist CD&V and Engages, and the N-VA forming the coalition, they command a comfortable majority of 81 out of 150 seats in the House.
The protracted coalition talks highlighted the significant challenges in bridging fundamental differences between the various parties.