With schools restarting and the holiday spirit gasping its last, the political excitement that swept across Europe in June has faded. Summer vacations gave us a chance to unwind and move on.
The Olympics have been and gone, colleagues are tanned and refreshed, and Ursula von der Leyen is settling into her second term as Commission President. But in Belgium things have a habit of moving slowly, especially in the political arena where former opponents now find themselves trying to hash out a government deal. Nowhere is the discomfort of compromise felt so strongly as in discussions to form a Federal Government, where ideological differences are amplified by the regional divide.
In French-speaking Wallonia, the governing coalition was cemented with "unprecedented speed" – thanks to the strong results of the liberal Reformist Movement (MR) and centrists Les Engagés (LE). Together these two parties had enough seats for a majority, an alliance further simplified by their not dissimilar policy positions.
Flanders is also moving towards a deal and hopes to have a draft agreement between the three parties – rightwing N-VA, socialist Vooruit and centrist CD&V – by the end of this week.
But at the national level things get rather more complicated. When it comes to protracted negotiations, Belgium has form. No country on Earth struggles quite so much to settle on a governing coalition. De Croo's outgoing government was finally formed 494 days after Belgians cast their votes.
Nicknamed the "Vivaldi" coalition in reference to the spectrum of parties it brought together, it was hoped that the current "Arizona" grouping would be a little easier to form. After all, it comprises just five parties, rather than the seven united by Vivaldi.
Now 79 days since the election, negotiations have been held up on the issue of a capital gains tax on shares – something that the Flemish socialists Vooruit insist on but is strongly opposed by MR, who never fail to point out their much larger voter share. Charged with leading the formation, Bart De Wever charmed and cajoled his partners, he probably even pleaded. But on Friday he threw in the towel, exasperated by intransigence on this issue. He called it the greatest failure of his political career.
This week it's the turn of Maxime Prévot – leader of LE – to break the deadlock. But if he can't lead partners over this stumbling block we could be in for a very long ride.
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1. Brussels Government puzzle: Francophone and Dutch-speaking parties meet for first time
"Now, the potential partners know in which direction we are going." Read more.
2. Train collides with farm vehicle: Two people injured, Eurostar traffic disrupted
A TGV high-speed train collided with the trailer of a stationary tractor, dragging the trailer a long distance. Two passengers were injured, one seriously. Read more.
3. Dreaming of more holidays? How Belgian sectors compare on annual leave
"It is and remains the most-heard cliché, but let's face it: teachers have the most number of holidays per year." Read more.
4. ‘Zombie drugs’: Customs sounds the alarm as seizure of synthetic opioids skyrockets
"Using these drugs can lead to severe hallucinations, uncontrolled movements and even violent behaviour." Read more.
5. ‘Stay vigilant’: Tiger mosquito spotted in nine places in Belgium
Tiger mosquitoes is can transmit various pathogens, particularly dengue, Zika, Chikungunya and the West Nile virus. Read more.
6. Uber hit with record €290m fine from Dutch data protection watchdog
This is the third fine that the Dutch DPA has imposed on Uber, following a fine of €600,000 in 2018 and €10 million in 2023. Read more.
7. Federal Government formation: Parties are held up on ‘just one issue’
Rather than starting from square one, Monday's talks aimed to build on previous progress. "There was just one sticking point... We will try to resolve it." Read more.
