A new federal government for Belgium
Arizona follows Vivaldi

02/12/2025

The new Belgian federal government, called “Arizona” was officially sworn in on 3 February 2025, concluding nearly eight months of difficult negotiations. Bart De Wever, leader of the Flemish nationalist party N-VA, has become the country's first Flemish nationalist Prime Minister.

Belgium's 2024 Elections

In 2024, Belgium held elections for the European Parliament, the national parliament, and the regional parliaments in Flanders, Wallonia, and Brussels in June, followed by local elections in October. The national seven-party "Vivaldi" coalition, in office since 2019, suffered significant losses, particularly among the Flemish Liberals and the French-speaking Greens and Socialists. This shift paved the way for a new government coalition formed by the regional governing parties from both major linguistic regions.

In Flanders, the far-right Vlaams Belang made further gains, while the “New Flemish Alliance” (N-VA), remaining the strongest party, formed a coalition with “Christian Democratic and Flemish” (CD&V) and the socialist Vooruit. Matthias Diependaele (N-VA) became Flemish Minister-President. The coalition negotiations were challenging and came close to collapsing several times.

The situation was different in Wallonia. After years of Socialist Party dominance, a coalition was swiftly formed on 15 July between the centrist party Les Engagés (LE) and the liberal Mouvement Réformateur (MR), with Adrien Dolimont (MR) becoming the new Minister-President.

The complex process of forming a government in the Brussels-Capital Region is still ongoing.

The new Belgian government coalition is called "Arizona", named after the party colours—blue, red, orange, and yellow.

National Government Formation

Parallel to the regional coalition negotiations, the same parties also came together at national level. Long-standing N-VA chairman Bart De Wever was entrusted with the crucial task of forming the new government, with King Philippe formally appointing the 53-year-old mayor of Antwerp to the role just one day after the election. His objective was to unite the Walloon governing parties, MR and Les Engagés (LE), the Christian Democratic and Flemish Party (CD&V) and the Flemish socialist party Vooruit, the third-largest party nationwide. Alongside his own party, N-VA, this coalition formed the so-called "Arizona" coalition, named after the party colours—blue, red, orange, and yellow.

This time, Belgian voters provided a clearer basis for coalition formation, as the regional coalitions were mirrored at the federal level—an unprecedented development that could enhance political coherence and efficiency. However, negotiations proved extremely challenging. De Wever resigned multiple times, but the King repeatedly renewed his mandate to form the government, as no viable alternative existed. On 3 February, the new government, led by Prime Minister Bart De Wever, was finally sworn in by the King.

Meet the new Belgian government: https://federal-government.be/en/

Challenges and Key Policy Priorities for the New “Arizona” Government

Given Belgium’s precarious fiscal situation—with new borrowing exceeding 5% of GDP and a debt level surpassing 105%—the country is compelled to implement substantial reforms to comply with EU stability requirements. The coalition has largely opted for a centre-right policy approach and outlined an ambitious policy agenda, addressing key areas such as asylum and immigration, energy, economic and social reforms, defence, and nuclear policy. These measures reflect a shift towards stricter regulations, fiscal responsibility, and a renewed focus on long-term sustainability.

On asylum and immigration, the government is introducing stricter rules for asylum applications, family reunification, and naturalisation. Higher language and integration requirements will be imposed, and new arrivals will receive only limited social benefits for the first five years.
In terms of energy policy, Belgium has opted to extend the operating life of two nuclear power plants by 20 years while also evaluating new nuclear technologies. This marks a significant departure from previous plans to phase out nuclear energy.
The government has also set out ambitious economic and social reforms aimed at strengthening Belgium’s fiscal position and improving Belgium’s long-term financial stability. One element is the introduction of a “solidarity contribution”—a 10% tax on capital gains, secured by Vooruit leader Conner Rousseau. Small investors will, however, be exempt on gains up to €10,000. In return, Vooruit has accepted cuts to pensions, unemployment benefits (limited to two years), and other social benefits, though the automatic indexation of wages and benefits to inflation will remain in place.
On defence, the government has committed itself to increase spending to 2% of GDP, aligning with NATO requirements and ensuring Belgium meets its international obligations.
Bart De Wever, Belgium’s first Flemish nationalist Prime Minister, now faces the challenge of balancing separatist ambitions with national unity. Although N-VA has long sought a seventh major state reform, the coalition agreement merely outlines a goal to redefine federal and regional responsibilities after the 2029 elections.

Outlook

De Wever’s government is prioritising budget consolidation, with a series of structural reforms aimed at enhancing economic competitiveness and fiscal stability. The comprehensive government agreement is precise and detailed, outlining numerous and far-reaching reforms. De Wever is determined to avoid the errors of the previous seven-party Vivaldi government, which struggled to implement key measures due tointernal tensionsand vague agreements.

However, the planned austerity measures could weaken social cohesion and provoke resistance. The first warnings of strikes—including the possibility of prolonged action—have already been issued. Tensions remain high, and the coalition’s ability to maintain unity while pushing through its ambitious agenda will be tested in the coming months and years.

The agreement itself remains a delicate compromise, inevitably disappointing some voters and leading to criticism over broken promises. The introduction of a 10% tax on capital gains is a major setback for MR, while the pension reform represents a significant blow for the Flemish socialists. However, without these reforms, no agreement would have been possible. All coalition partners have had to scale back certain ambitions, but they can take satisfaction in having negotiated a particularly detailed and structured agreement, leaving not much space for ambiguities or renegotiations.

From an economic perspective, the reforms could enhance competitiveness and contribute to a more stable fiscal outlook. However, there is also a risk that budget cuts may stifle growth and deepen social inequalities. The government will need to strike a delicate balance betweenfiscal discipline and social stability to ensure long-term success.