Belgium has a new government. All it took was seven months of negotiation — which by Belgian standards is breakneck speed. New Prime Minister Bart De Wever had previously served as mayor of Antwerp from 2013, besides leading his N-VA party for the last two decades. An experienced and formidable politician, it’s surprising it’s taken him this long to lead his country.
But perhaps that’s because he’s not overly keen on its continued existence. De Wever’s not just a Right-wing Eurosceptic, but also a Flemish nationalist. He’s reported as saying that “if I could die as a Southern Dutchman, I would die happier than as a Belgian.” Awkward.