Belgian political crisis gets deeper as mediator resigns - again (correction)

Jan 26, 2011, 21:49 GMT

   Brussels - The chances for Belgium to break free of its intractable political crisis receded further on Wednesday, as the man tasked with finding a solution to the deadlock tendered his second resignation in less than a month.

   Johan Vande Lanotte has been trying to find enough common ground between Dutch and French-speaking politicians since October, stepping into the shoes of five previous failed mediators.

   On Wednesday, he called on King Albert II to say he had enough.

   'The royal conciliator has asked the king to be relieved of his mission. The king accepted and will begin consultations tomorrow,' a statement from the palace said after the meeting.

   Before forming a government, would-be coalition partners have to agree on a devolution of powers from the federal state, to assuage demands for greater autonomy from representatives of richer, Dutch- speaking Flanders.

   Dutch-speakers want to reduce transfers to poorer, French-speaking Wallonia. Flanders' biggest party, the N-VA, takes it further, by calling for a gradual dissolution of the central state.

   Analysts suggests that the N-VA's hardline leader, Bart De Wever, has no incentive to compromise, because the deadlock reinforces arguments that a unified Belgian state is no longer tenable.

   Vande Lanotte had already given up on his efforts on January 6, after the N-VA and another Flemish party rejected his compromise proposals, which others parties involved in the talks - three Francophone and two Dutch-speaking ones - had accepted.

   A few days later, the veteran Flemish politician was persuaded to soldier on by the monarch.

   The latest twist in Belgium's political saga took place just three days after a 'Shame' demonstration - in which over 30,000 people marched through Brussels to urge politicians to end the impasse and to reject the spectre of a looming split between Flanders and Wallonia.

   Belgians have been without an elected government since voting 224 days ago, on June 13. Their country is close to beating the world record for the longest post-electoral impasse in recent history, currently held by Iraq, with 298 days.