Belgian Prime Minister De Croo: 'The King has accepted my resignation'

Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo shared a message on his X account along with a photo of his visit to King Philippe of Belgium, stating, "The King has accepted my resignation."

Stating that the current government will continue to handle day-to-day affairs while managing the transition process for a new government, De Croo remarked, "The election results are a disappointment, and I take responsibility for this."

De Croo's party, the Flemish liberal Open Vld, suffered a defeat in the Belgian general elections held yesterday.

Coming in 9th place, Open Vld lost votes and received the support of only 5.4 percent of the voters.

In his statement following the election last night, the Prime Minister was unable to hold back his tears and had announced that he would submit his resignation on the morning of June 10.

Traditionally in Belgium, the incumbent prime minister submits their resignation to the King after every election, but De Croo's electoral defeat made this instance more dramatic.

A DIFFICULT PROCESS BEGINS

Disagreements between the federal regions in Belgium often lead to political crises after almost every election.

The country set records in this regard by remaining without a government for 107 days after the 1979 elections, 148 days in 1988, 194 days in 2007, and 653 days following the 2019 elections.