Belgian Government Talks Clear Key Hurdle; Bonds Rally

Belgian coalition negotiators agreed to split the voting district encompassing the bilingual capital, removing the biggest obstacle to political stability in the country for the past six years and sending its bonds higher.

“Even as there remains much work to be done, clearing the hurdle of Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde constitutes an important step,” Elio Di Rupo, the president of Belgium’s French-speaking Socialist Party, said today in a statement.