Leterme I Government

The Leterme I Government is the current federal government of Belgium. It took office on 20 March 2008, when the Flemish Christian democrat Yves Leterme (CD&V) was sworn in as Prime Minister. [cite news|url=http://destandaard.be/Artikel/Detail.aspx?artikelId=DMF20032008_007|title=Leterme in Wetstraat 16|publisher=De Standaard Online|date=2008-03-20|accessdate=2008-03-20|language=Dutch] It followed the Belgian general election of 2007 and comprised five parties: the Dutch-speaking Christian Democratic and Flemish (CD&V), the Dutch-speaking Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats (Open Vld), the French-speaking liberal Reformist Movement (MR), the French-speaking Socialist Party (PS) and the French-speaking Humanist Democratic Centre (CDH).cite news|url=http://destandaard.be/Artikel/Detail.aspx?artikelId=DMF20032008_002|title=Milquet en Arena in regering|publisher=De Standaard Online|date=2008-03-20|accessdate=2008-03-20|language=Dutch]

The government received the confidence of the Chamber of Representatives on March 22, with 97 votes in favour, 48 against, and one abstaining. [Jones Hayden, [http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601085&sid=af249_PsrRzs&refer=europe "Belgium's New Government Wins Confidence Vote in Parliament"] , Bloomberg.com, March 23, 2008.]

Composition

The Leterme I Government currently comprises 15 ministers and seven secretaries of state. Its current composition is as follows: [cite web|url=http://www.ejustice.just.fgov.be/mopdf/2008/03/21_2.pdf|title=20 March 2008 – Royal Orders. Government – Dismissals – Appointments|publisher=The Belgian Official Journal|date=2008-03-21|pages=pp. 3–4|accessdate=2008-03-22|language=Dutch/French]

Changes

* On April 19, 2008 Frédéric Laloux (PS) resigned as Secretary of State for the Fight against Poverty after becoming embroiled in a scandal after being caught in several lies and when it became clear a judicial investigation related to his time as an alderman in Namur was being conducted. He was succeeded on April 20 by Jean-Marc Délizée.

Government crisis

In the late hours of July 14, 2008, after months of negotiations regarding the constitutional reform and the status of the Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde electoral district failed, and the deadline of July 15, 2008 neared without the hope of a result, Leterme offered the resignation of his cabinet to the King. After a series of consultations, King Albert II decided to reject Prime Minister Leterme's resignation on July 17. The royal palace said that the King had asked two senior French-speaking politicians, François-Xavier de Donnéa (MR) and Raymond Langendries (CDH), and the Minister-President of the German-speaking Community, Karl-Heinz Lambertz (SP), to establish how to start talks about institutional reform. They were expected to report back to the King by the end of the month. [cite news|title=Belgian PM's resignation rejected|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7512975.stm|publisher=BBC News|date=2008-07-17|accessdate=2008-07-18] However, on July 31, 2008, they reported that they needed more time for the negotiations.

ee also

*2007–2008 Belgian political crisis

References