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New York TimesJun 12
Belgian Prime Minister Resigns Following Election Defeat
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The Facts
Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo of the ruling Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats (Open VLD) party Sunday tendered his resignation following his party's defeat in the federal elections.
In De Croo's constituency of East Flanders, Open VLD won 10% of the vote, down from 17.85% in 2019. Nationally, his party took less than 7%. The top two parties were the right New Flemish Alliance (N-VA) and anti-immigration Vlaams Belang parties.
The Spin
Right narrative
This was a clear rebuke of both De Croo as a person and his party. Not only did Belgian voters unseat the Open VLD, they also stripped 11 seats from green parties. De Croo represents the European elites, as shown by his anti-Trump remarks, which is why the people voted for parties who will focus on national concerns.
Left narrative
Despite the gains of far-right parties, Belgian voters kept them from forming a government. Belgium is a historically diverse country — from its semi-autonomous Flemish- and Dutch-speaking regions to its North African immigrants — which is why the people voted to keep the far-right from ending immigration and tearing the country apart.