Belgian Government falling apart: N-VA party leaves the ruling coalition – Charles Michel will fly to Marrakesh

“If Charles Michel persists in wanting to go to Marrakech on Sunday to approve the migration pact, he will land as the prime minister of the coalition of Marrakech,” said Saturday the N-VA president Bart De Wever, repeating that there was no consensus on this issue within the executive.

An hour later, Charles Michel said in a press conference that he took “note” of the exit of the N-VA from the federal government.

The evening was tense in the federal government. After convening an extraordinary cabinet meeting on Saturday night to discuss the United Nations Migration Pact, the N-VA ministers left after just half an hour of meeting on 16 rue de la Loi, without any comment.

Less than an hour later, around 9 pm, N-VA President Bart De Wever announced his party’s opposition to Charles Michel’s decision to go to Marrakech. He launched in front of the press: “The Prime Minister will fly as Prime Minister of a Swedish coalition and will land as the leader of a coalition Marrakech”.

Bart De Wever, however, did not make it clear whether the N-VA was leaving the government directly or not.

At 10:40 pm, at a press conference at Lambermont, Charles Michel was finally clearer than the N-VA. “I take note that the N-VA leaves the Swedish majority,” adding that he will fly to Marrakech this Sunday “at the head of an orange-blue coalition” (MR-Open VLD-CD & V).

He also announced plans on his return from Morocco to discuss the future of the government.

To replace the ministers of the N-VA, Charles Michel also mentioned the arrival of two new secretaries of state who would take over the skills of these former ministers and secretaries of state, which should be Pieter Decrem (CD & V) and Philippe De Backer (Open VLD).