Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has extended his congratulations to Bart De Wever on assuming office as the Prime Minister of Belgium. De Wever, the leader of the New Flemish Alliance (N-VA), was sworn in on February 3, 2025, making history as the first Flemish nationalist to hold the country’s top position. His appointment comes after nearly eight months of intense coalition negotiations following the June 2024 elections.
De Wever’s government is backed by a five-party coalition, including the Flemish Christian Democrats (CD&V), left-wing Vooruit, liberal Mouvement Réformateur (MR), centrists Les Engagés, and his own N-VA. The administration has ambitious plans to address budgetary challenges, tighten migration policies, and enhance public safety. In a bold move, the government has scrapped plans to phase out nuclear energy, signaling a shift in Belgium’s energy policy.
Despite the new leadership’s strong agenda, concerns have been raised over the gender imbalance in the cabinet, with only three women among the 15 ministers. Additionally, De Wever, a long-time advocate for greater autonomy for Flanders, has had a complicated relationship with Belgium’s monarchy. Though he has previously expressed skepticism about the monarchy’s role, he formally swore allegiance to King Philippe upon taking office.
As his first major international engagement, De Wever is set to attend an EU summit in Brussels, where key discussions will focus on European defense strategies and global trade challenges. With his leadership, Belgium is entering a new political era that could redefine its national and European policies.
