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Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel said his government would continue as a minority administration after the biggest party in his coalition quit on Saturday in a row over signing the U.N. migration compact.

BRUSSELS: Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel said his government would continue as a minority administration after the biggest party in his coalition quit on Saturday in a row over signing the U.N. migration compact.

Michel, a French-speaking liberal, said he "took note" of the departure of the Flemish N-VA from the four-party coalition formed in 2014 and would reshuffle posts - a particularly complex task in bilingual Belgium, as French- and Dutch-speakers must by law have an equal number of ministerial posts.

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With a federal election due anyway in May, many observers expect no immediate change to that electoral calendar.

In a move critics have described as an opening shot in that election campaign, the right-wing N-VA, which is the biggest party in parliament, said it was pulling its ministers from the coalition after Michel refused its demand that he rescind a plan to sign the U.N. migration compact in Marrakesh on Monday.

Michel had secured a large parliamentary majority last week in favour of maintaining Belgium's support of the United Nations text, which since it was agreed by all U.N. states bar the United States in July has run into criticism from European politicians who say it could increase immigration to Europe.

The N-VA faces electoral losses in its Dutch-speaking region to the harder-right, anti-immigration Vlaams Belang. Its leader Bart De Wever, the mayor of Belgium's second city Antwerp, had issued Michel an ultimatum that it would quit the government if he signed the non-binding U.N. declaration.

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A crisis cabinet meeting on Saturday night was cut short when two N-VA ministers, Interior Minister Jan Jambon and Migration Minister Theo Francken, walked out.

Michel said he would replace N-VA ministers with lower-ranked state secretaries and maintain a minority coalition involving his French-speaking liberal MR and two Flemish parties, the centre-right CD&V and Open VLD.

At least six EU states - mostly in formerly Communist eastern Europe - have already shunned the accord to regulate the treatment of migrants worldwide, a sign of how the bloc has turned increasingly restrictive on accepting refugees and migrants alike since a 2015 spike in arrivals.

(Reporting by Alastair Macdonald; Editing by Daniel Wallis)</s>"If the government decides to bind itself [to the document] in Marrakesh, we will not accept it. Tomorrow, Charles Michel will leave as a prime minister of 'Swedish coalition' and will land as a prime minister of 'Marrakesh' coalition," N-VA leader Bart De Wever said as quoted by the party's press service.

The Belgian ruling coalition is called Swedish because the official colors of its member parties resemble a Swedish flag. The N-VA members hold among others posts of defense minister, interior minister and state secretary for asylum policy and migration in the country's parliament.

READ MORE: EU Expands Frontex Mandate to Work in Third Countries

The UN Global Compact for Migration represents the international community's attempt to establish a common global approach to all aspects of international migration. The pact comprises 23 objectives for better managing migration at local, national, regional, and global levels.

The global compact is expected to be formally endorsed at an intergovernmental conference in the Moroccan city of Marrakesh on December 10-11.</s>Centraal in ons cookiebeleid staat respect voor uw privacy. Via de link "Meer informatie" onderaan verneemt u welke cookies we gebruiken en kan u specifiek instellen voor welke doeleinden u cookies aanvaardt.

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BITES EUROPE NV, met maatschappelijke zetel te 1800 Vilvoorde, Medialaan 1, ondernemingsnummer 0466.252.967, Tel.: 02/255.32.11, E-mail: privacy@dpgmedia.be Mocht U nog vragen of opmerkingen hebben, contacteer ons dan op privacy@dpgmedia.be U kan met het voorgestelde gebruik instemmen door hieronder op "Verder naar website" te klikken. Bijkomende informatie over de instellingen kan u vinden door op "Instellingen" te klikken.</s>Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel rushed to reshuffle his government and stave off its collapse Sunday morning as his tenuous pact with Flemish nationalists finally reached a breaking point over an international migration pact.

Michel met with King Philippe of Belgium Sunday morning to seek a royal decree to reorganize his government without the New Flemish Alliance (N-VA). The party's objection to the U.N. Global Compact on Migration forced the ruling coalition to break apart Saturday night.

Michel on Sunday replaced ministers from the New Flemish Alliance (N-VA), including Interior Minister Jan Jambon and Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration Theo Francken, local media reported.

Health Minister Maggie De Block, a liberal, will take over the migration portfolio, and Pieter De Crem, from the CD&V party, will take over as interior minister, L'Echo reported Sunday.

Michel will remain in place as prime minister for now. But his "orange-blue" coalition doesn't have a parliamentary majority without the Flemish nationalists, raising the possibility he may not be able to finish his mandate. Belgium faces regional, federal and European elections in May.

The N-VA on Saturday formally broke ranks over the U.N. migration compact, an international agreement the Belgian parliament, minus the N-VA and far-right Vlaams Belang, has committed to signing but that has attracted strong criticism from right and far-right parties across Europe.

Michel called a crunch-time ministerial meeting late on Saturday as a last attempt to break the deadlock, after days of crisis talks. But N-VA members of government walked out of the meeting after half an hour.

"We formally stated that we don't agree to this [U.N.] pact," party chief Bart De Wever told reporters at a press conference shortly after.

Dueling late-night press conferences late Saturday night created confusion over whether key ministries were still held by the N-VA or rendered vacant.

Speaking to the press, Michel said he "took note of the N-VA's decision to leave the government" and would represent a minority government without the Flemish nationalists when heading to Marrakesh.

"I think that, formally speaking, we are stepping down. We said that if the coalition goes to Marrakech, it will be without us," Jambon told VRT on Sunday.

The government will pursue "firm but humane" migration policies, Vice Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said Sunday. "No one in this government wants to pursue an open border policy," he added, disputing the N-VA's claim parties had formed a "Marrakech coalition."

The N-VA "suddenly" took a different view on the country's position in the world, De Croo said. "To me, it's a question of our principles."

This story has been updated.

Read this next: Steve Bannon in Brussels: UN migration pact already ‘dead’</s>Brussels — Belgium’s Prime Minister Charles Michel is now at the helm of a minority government after the Flemish nationalist party on Sunday quit the ruling coalition over his support of a UN migration pact widely opposed by anti-immigrant populists.

The New Flemish Alliance (N-VA), the largest of the coalition’s four parties, had earlier threatened to leave if Michel backed the accord, which has become a cause celebre for right-wing parties across Europe.

Belgium’s King Philippe accepted the resignations of the N-VA’s ministers on Sunday after meeting with Michel at the royal palace, according to a statement.

Michel also presented the king with the list of replacements for the departing N-VA ministers in the interior, finance, defence and migration portfolios.

With the departure of the Flemish party, Michel lacks a parliamentary majority with five months to go before legislative elections scheduled for late May.

“I regret that it has come to this,” Michel told the RTL-TVI television channel.

He said that a “responsible coalition” had been set up and called for “dialogue with parliament”, warning of a looming risk of early elections, which he said could “stymie the country for a year”.

Addressing a news conference later in the day, Michel said the weakened government’s three priorities would be purchasing power, security and climate policy.

Interior minister and N-VA member Jan Jambon had confirmed earlier Sunday that he and the party’s other ministers would step down.

“It’s clear,” he told national broadcaster RTBF, following hours of uncertainty.</s>Belgium's far-right New Flemish Alliance (N-VA) party quit Prime Minister Charles Michel's coalition government over his decision to sign a U.N. accord on migration, Interior Minister and N-VA member Jan Jambon said Sunday.

The decision will leave Michel as head of a minority government.

Belgian media reported that Michel was reshuffling his cabinet to replace three ministers from the N-VA who have resigned.

Minister for Health and Social Affairs Maggie de Block will inherit the asylum and migration portfolio, a post she had previously held, according to the VRT broadcaster. Vice premier Alexander De Croo is to take over as finance minister from Johan Van Overtveldt.

Secretary of State Peter de Crem will be promoted to interior minister, taking over from Jan Jambon, while Denis Ducarme, whose portfolio includes agriculture, is to become defence minister, according to VRT.

Michel was meeting on Sunday with King Philippe, who has accepted the resignation of the three ministers.</s>Belgium Interior Minister Jan Jambon of the New Flemish Alliance (N-VA) confirmed on Sunday (9/12/2018) that he, along with the party’s other ministers would resign over disagreement with Prime minister Charles Michel over signature of Global Comapact on migration in Marrakesh, Morocco, at UN-led conference scheduled for Monday, December 10.

“It’s clear,” he told to RTBF, following hours of uncertainty.

The decision means Charles Michel will lead a minority government for the five months before parliamentary elections scheduled for late May.

He will now have to appoint ministers to replace those held by the N-VA — which had been the largest of the coalition’s four parties — including the interior, finance, defence and migration portfolios.

In power for four years, the coalition has often been riven over the N-VA’s anti-migration positions.

Party leader Bart De Wever issued an ultimatum to Michel on Saturday night, suggesting the N-VA would leave the coalition if the Prime minister flew to a UN conference in Marrakesh on Sunday to endorse the pact.

Michel stood firm, saying he would represent Belgium in Marrakesh as the “head of state of a responsible coalition”.

A ‘last attempt’ cabinet meeting was held late Saturday, but failed to overcome the differences between the parties.

The non-binding UN accord, which would promote a common global approach to migrant flows, has become notorious for European anti-immigration parties.

It was initially supported by all four parties in Belgium‘s coalition, but the N-VA changed its position in late October.

The crisis had been going on for several weeks before bursting into the open when Prime minister Michel, a Liberal, turned to parliament after failing to unite his government behind the pact.

The N-VA and the far-right Vlaams Belang party voted against the accord.

The draft UN pact lays down 23 objectives, claiming to open up legal migration and better management of a global flow of 250 million people in need.

The United States refused the talks on the pact last year, joined by a number of European countries like Hungary, Austria, Poland, Bulgaria, Slovakia and Australia, and Croatia.</s>Belgium's Prime Minister Charles Michel was left leading a minority administration on Sunday after the Flemish nationalist party quit the ruling coalition over his support of a UN migration pact.

The New Flemish Alliance (N-VA), the largest of the coalition's four parties, had earlier threatened to leave if Michel backed the accord, which has become a cause celebre for European anti-immigration parties.

Belgium's King Philippe accepted the resignations of the N-VA's ministers on Sunday after meeting with Michel at the royal palace, according to a statement.

Michel also presented the king with the names of those who would replace the N-VA ministers in the interior, finance, defence and migration portfolios.

The departure of the Flemish party means Michel will lack a parliamentary majority for five months ahead of legislative elections scheduled for late May.

Interior minister and N-VA member Jan Jambon had confirmed earlier Sunday that he and the party's other ministers would step down.

"It's clear," he told national broadcaster RTBF, following hours of uncertainty.

In power for four years, the coalition has often been riven over the N-VA's anti-migration positions.

Party leader Bart De Wever issued Michel an ultimatum on Saturday night, suggesting that the N-VA would quit the coalition if the prime minister flew to a UN conference in Marrakesh on Sunday to endorse the migration pact.

"If we no longer have a voice in this government... there is no point in continuing," he said.

Michel stood firm, saying he would represent Belgium in Marrakesh as the "head of state of a responsible coalition".

A last-gasp cabinet meeting was held late Saturday, but failed to overcome the differences between the parties.

The non-binding UN accord, which would promote a common global approach to migrant flows, was initially supported by all four parties in Belgium's coalition.

But the N-VA changed its mind in late October.

The crisis had been rumbling for several weeks before bursting into the open on Tuesday when Michel turned to parliament after failing to unite his government behind the pact.

The liberal prime minister has steadfastly defended the pact, saying the international "credibility" of Belgium was at stake.

On Thursday, a majority of parliament supported the accord, but the N-VA and the far-right Vlaams Belang party voted against.

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen and Steve Bannon, a former advisor to US President Donald Trump, denounced the UN pact at an event hosted by Vlaams Belang in Brussels on Saturday.

"The country that signs the pact obviously signs a pact with the devil," Le Pen said.

The draft UN pact lays down 23 objectives to open up legal migration and better manage a global flow of 250 million people, three percent of the world population.

The United States dropped out of talks on the pact last year and countries such as Hungary, Austria, Poland, Bulgaria, Slovakia and Australia have rejected it.

The pact is expected to be ratified at the UN headquarters in New York on December 19.</s>Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel relaunched his government on Sunday as a minority administration after the biggest party in his coalition quit in a dispute over signing the U.N. migration compact.

BRUSSELS: Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel relaunched his government on Sunday as a minority administration after the biggest party in his coalition quit in a dispute over signing the U.N. migration compact.

Michel met King Philippe to remould his government as a three-party coalition of his French-speaking liberal MR and two Flemish parties, the centre-right CD&V and Open VLD, after the departure of the Flemish N-VA following four years together.

With a federal election due anyway in late May, many observers see no immediate need for an early vote.

Michel told a news conference with his remaining ministers that the government would focus in the remaining months on the economy, defending Belgium's interests ahead of Brexit, security and climate change.

He also said he would speak with members of parliament to see how his minority government, with just 52 of 150 seats, could proceed, without saying which other parties he saw as potential allies.

The N-VA's exit left Michel with three ministerial posts to fill, along with portfolios, such as immigration, held by N-VA's two state secretaries.

Alexander De Croo, one of the deputy prime ministers, will become finance minister, Pieter De Crem, a former defence minister, becomes interior minister, while foreign minister Didier Reynders will add defence to his portfolio

The right-wing N-VA, which is the biggest party in parliament, pulled its ministers from the coalition after Michel refused its demand that he not sign the U.N. migration compact in Marrakesh on Monday, in a move critics see as an opening shot in the election campaign.

Michel had secured a large parliamentary majority last week in favour of maintaining Belgium's support of the United Nations text, with support from the opposition socialists and greens.

Since it was agreed by all U.N. states bar the United States in July, the text has run into criticism from European politicians who say it could increase immigration to Europe.

The N-VA risks electoral losses in its Dutch-speaking region to the harder-right, anti-immigration Vlaams Belang. Its leader Bart De Wever issued Michel an ultimatum that it would quit the government if he signed the non-binding U.N. declaration.

At least six EU states - mostly in formerly Communist eastern Europe - have already shunned the accord to regulate the treatment of migrants worldwide, a sign of how the bloc has turned increasingly restrictive on accepting refugees and migrants alike since a 2015 spike in arrivals.</s>Belgium's Flemish nationalist party said on Sunday it will quit the ruling coalition, leaving Prime Minister Charles Michel as the head of a minority government after a row over a UN migration pact.

Interior Minister Jan Jambon of the New Flemish Alliance (N-VA) confirmed on Sunday that he and the party's other ministers would step down.

"It's clear," he told national broadcaster RTBF, following hours of uncertainty.

The decision means Michel will lead a minority government for the five months before parliamentary elections scheduled for late May.

He will now have to appoint ministers to replace those held by the N-VA -- which had been the largest of the coalition's four parties -- including the interior, finance, defence and migration portfolios.

In power for four years, the coalition has often been riven over the N-VA's anti-migration positions.

Party leader Bart De Wever issued an ultimatum to Michel on Saturday night, suggesting the N-VA would leave the coalition if the prime minister flew to a UN conference in Marrakesh on Sunday to endorse the pact.

Michel stood firm, saying he would represent Belgium in Marrakesh as the "head of state of a responsible coalition".

A last-gasp cabinet meeting was held late Saturday, but failed to overcome the differences between the parties.

The non-binding UN accord, which would promote a common global approach to migrant flows, has become a cause celebre for European anti-immigration parties.

It was initially supported by all four parties in Belgium's coalition, but the N-VA changed its mind in late October.

The crisis had been rumbling for several weeks before bursting into the open on Tuesday when Michel, a liberal, turned to parliament after failing to unite his government behind the pact.

The N-VA and the far-right Vlaams Belang party voted against the accord.

The draft UN pact lays down 23 objectives to open up legal migration and better manage a global flow of 250 million people, three percent of the world population.

The United States dropped out of talks on the pact last year and countries such as Hungary, Austria, Poland, Bulgaria, Slovakia and Australia have rejected it.
Prime Minister Charles Michel says that the New Flemish Alliance (N-VA) party quits the coalition. N-VA cites its disagreement over the signing of the United Nations Global Compact for Migration. Michel plans to continue with a minority cabinet until the next scheduled election.