Belgian King Picks Mediators in Bid to Restart Talks on Forming Government

King Albert II of Belgium accepted the resignation of Elio Di Rupo as leader of failed talks on a new government and asked mediators to seek ways to revive the process, which collapsed because of a clash over power sharing between French- and Dutch-speaking factions.

The king gave the mediation mission to the presidents of Parliament’s Chamber of Representatives and Senate. Di Rupo, head of the French-speaking Socialists, asked on Sept. 3 to end his stewardship of seven-party talks on a new administration.

Di Rupo failed to win support for his proposals from the strongest party in the Dutch-speaking north, the N-VA under Bart De Wever, who wants the French-speaking parties to hand more powers to regional authorities. The deadlock halts Di Rupo’s bid to become Belgium’s first native francophone prime minister since 1974, and leaves a caretaker administration under Premier Yves Leterme in place indefinitely.

The goal is “to restart negotiations toward the formation of the government,” the royal palace in Brussels said in a statement late yesterday. “This is necessary to preserve the economic and social well-being of citizens and to reform our institutions in a lasting way.”

The breakdown of the talks, 2 1/2 months after inconclusive national elections, deepens the stalemate over how to address the north-south tension that led to the fall of four governments since 2008.

Di Rupo initially asked to resign from his role leading the negotiations on Aug. 29, when the king rejected the request. The monarch delayed a decision on Di Rupo’s second request five days later, until the end of consultations with political leaders yesterday.

To contact the reporter on this story: Jonathan Stearns in Brussels at jstearns2@bloomberg.net

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