The Prime Minister of Belgium announces his resignation after the elections – DW – 06/10/2024

Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, from the Flemish liberal party Open Vld, announced on Sunday (09/06/2024) his resignation after the weak results his party obtained in the federal and regional elections in Belgium.

“For us, it was a particularly difficult night, we lost,” said an emotional De Croo, who could not avoid crying in an appearance in which he congratulated the winners, the Flemish nationalist party N-VA and the far-right Vlaams Belang party. As well as the Flemish Socialist Party Vooruit, which also achieved good results.

Given the poor results achieved by the Flemish Liberal Party, which contrasted with the good results achieved by the French-speaking Liberals in Brussels and Wallonia, De Croo considered that he was nothing but the “figurehead of this campaign”.

“This is not the result I expected and I will not shirk my responsibilities. Starting tomorrow I will resign from my position as Prime Minister (…) I will fully focus on current affairs. I will prepare everything for a good transition to my successor or successors.” ,” He said. .

Evaluating the results obtained, De Croo admitted that his party currently has “many more questions than answers,” but stressed that his party is “fighting and resilient” and will come back “stronger.”

With more than 95% of the votes counted, the Flemish separatists once again became the strongest political force after the parliamentary elections. The conservative New Flemish Alliance is expected to receive 17% of the vote, while the more extreme Vlaams Belang (Flemish Interest) party will receive the second highest percentage of votes at 14%.

In the national vote held on the same day as the European Parliament elections, De Croo's Flemish Liberal Party will lose nearly half of its seats in the Belgian House of Representatives.

jc (efe, dpa)