Since Wednesday morning, the negotiators involved in the federal coalition talks have been meeting at the Royal Military School in Brussels. It is planned that they will continue their talks day and night during the next couple of days until an agreement is reached and a new government is formed.
Negotiators embark on marathon round of talks in the hope of reaching agreement on a new federal coalition
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The negotiating teams from the Flemish nationalists, the Flemish socialists, the Flemish Christian democrats and the Francophone liberals and Francophone centrists will remain at the Royal Military School during the next couple of days for what is set to be a marathon round of talks that it is hoped will lead to the formation of a new Federal Government. The question on everyone’s lips is whether a breakthrough can be achieved this time.
On Friday the man leading the talks, the Flemish nationalist leader Bart De Wever, is due to report to King Filip. Mr De Wever has already said that if no agreement is reached by then he will ask to be relieved of his duties as “Formateur”.
During the next couple of days, the 5 parties will attempt to reach agreement on issues such as pensions, work and taxation, all of which have proved sticking points during the past few months
Thorny issues
For the Flemish socialists it is self-evident that the “strongest shoulders” need to carry the greatest burden when it comes to efforts to balance the budget and reduce the deficit. The party is also adamant that the system on index-linked wage rises should be kept.
These are two points on which the Francophone Liberals and the Flemish nationalists hold very different views. The question is therefore how much room for maneuver there is and how far the parties are prepared to go to find a compromise.
The coming hours and days will be decisive. Initially the parties had wished to retreat to Hertoginnedal Castle in the Brussels municipality of Oudergem. The castle has played host to many difficult rounds of political negotiations in the past. However, the castle’s heating system isn’t working, so it was decided to use the Royal Military School instead.