After 20 years at the head of the NVA, the nationalist Bart De Wever (in the background) has put some roundness into his speeches. He is now the Belgian prime minister, leading a five-party coalition. Photo: Shutterstock

After 20 years at the head of the NVA, the nationalist Bart De Wever (in the background) has put some roundness into his speeches. He is now the Belgian prime minister, leading a five-party coalition. Photo: Shutterstock

After 236 days of negotiations, Belgian political party negotiators announced an agreement on Friday evening. This weekend, the five parties confirmed their participation in the government, which will be led by Flemish nationalist Bart De Wever and include 14 other ministers.

Weeks of negotiations. And a weekend of validation and negotiations over ministerial portfolios. Belgium is moving towards the formation of a new government, due to be sworn in by the king at 9am on Monday.

Maxime Prévot, president of Les Engagés, announced his party's ministerial line-up on Sunday evening: he will take up the post of minister of foreign affairs; he will be joined by Jean-Luc Crucke, a former Walloon MR minister, who becomes minister for climate and mobility, and Vannessa Matz from Liège, who will head up public modernisation. Yvan Verougstraete will become president of Les Engagés before an election is held within three months.

Alongside Frank Vandenbroucke, minister for health and social affairs, Vooruit chairman Conner Rousseau confirmed late on Sunday afternoon via Instagram the appointment of Rob Beenders for the Flemish Socialists, who will hold the portfolios of equal opportunities, combating social fraud and consumer protection.

Annelies Verlinden (CD&V) will become minister of justice, having previously been Vivaldi's minister of the interior. Vincent Van Peteghem (CD&V) will become minister for the budget and administrative simplification. He will hold the post of deputy prime minister for the Flemish Christian Democrats.

Steven Vandeput MP will temporarily take over the presidency of the N-VA party, replacing Bart De Wever. Jan Jambon (N-VA) will hold the finance and pensions portfolio. He will be deputy prime minister for the Flemish Nationalists. Theo Francken (N-VA) will be defence minister. Anneleen Van Bossuyt (N-VA) will take up the post of minister for asylum and migration.

Georges-Louis Bouchez is expected to take up the post of minister of the interior and security. A portfolio for the economy and employment should go to former Vivaldi deputy prime minister David Clarinval. The ministry of energy is to be allocated, as is a ministry that often goes to the MR, comprising the small and medium-sized business, the self-employed and agriculture. However, the names of the MR ministers have not been confirmed at this stage.

Read the original French-language version of this news report /