Belgium struggles to form coalition

Three weeks after the elections in Belgium the Walloon Elio Di Rupo of the social democratic PS party has been given the task of leading the coalition talks. It will be difficult to form a government with the Flemish nationalist Bart De Wever of the New Flemish Alliance (N-VA), according to the daily De Standaard: "Flanders voted in droves  for the changes propagated by the N-VA. Francophone Belgium voted predominantly for the stability of the PS [Socialist Party]. It takes time to reconcile water and fire. ... The result must enable De Wever to explain to his voters and his party that he is making changes by accepting (a certain) stability, while Di Rupo must convince his voters that he is maintaining stability by accepting (certain) changes. A difficult task!"

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