Belgium:The ruling coalition in Belgium led by prime minister Guy Verhofstadt has suffered a heavy defeat in a general election at the hands of the Flemish Christian Democrats.
Early results released last night show the Liberal/Socialist coalition did not attract enough support to stay in power, a result that should bring an end to Mr Verhofstadt's eight-year tenure as prime minister. The big winner in the election was the Flemish Christian Democrats led by the premier of Flanders, Yves Leterme.
"This is progress and a victory for the whole team," Mr Leterme told party supporters at the count centre, while vowing to work for more security and "a modern restructuring of the state".
Based on preliminary results, the Christian Democrats are on course to secure 31.5 per cent of the vote in Flanders, the Dutch-speaking region of Belgium, which has a population of six million people. This represents a major increase in support on the 2003 election result in Flanders when the party secured just 25.8 per cent of the vote.
Mr Verhoftsadt's Liberals were down 6 per cent on their 2003 performance, polling just 18.2 per cent in Flanders while extreme right-wing party Vlaams Belang scooped about 18.5 per cent, a slight increase on their 17.9 per cent vote in 2003. The Socialist Party in Flanders and its counterpart in the French-speaking region in Belgium, Wallonia, also lost ground in the election. Support for the Dutch-speaking Socialists looked on course to fall to 17.4 per cent, from 23.5 per cent, while support for the French-speaking Socialists slipped back to 31 per cent, from 36.4 per cent.
Under Belgium's complicated political structure, ruling coalitions are usually formed between sister parties from both linguistic regions, Wallonia and Flanders. The prime minister is usually Flemish, making Mr Leterme the clear favourite to lead the next coalition in Belgium.
Mr Leterme, who was born to Walloon and Flemish parents, campaigned on a platform to amend the constitution to give more power over labour, justice and health policy to regional government. But this action would require a two-thirds majority in the federal parliament and is likely to be opposed by the Socialist Party in Wallonia.
In a victory speech last night Mr Leterme vowed to work with all parties that want to work constructively, raising the possibility of a broad "grand coalition" that may be able to reform the federal constitution.
Last year he provoked the francophone community in Wallonia when he suggested that the French-speaking community was either not willing or not capable of learning Dutch, which is the main language in Flanders.
Meanwhile, the heavy defeat for the Liberal Party is likely to mean Mr Verhofstadt will have to stand down. He is one of Europe's longest-serving leaders and a fervent pro-European. He has continually pressed EU states to move towards greater harmonisation and promoted the concept of a federal Europe.