One of the novelties was an electoral threshold of 5, which has cost many seats to the N-VA and the Green parties, Ecolo and Agalev.

The resignation of a Walloon green minister (Isabelle Durant), one week before the elections, probably didn't do them much good either.

[citation needed] Although it was predicted in some opinion polls, the gains of the Front National were surprising, considering that it seldom appeared in the media.

[citation needed] The most important trend was the recovery of the Flemish social-democrats, led by the popular (some would say populist) Steve Stevaert.

The fact that Elio Di Rupo was learning Dutch caused rumours that he hoped to become prime minister,[citation needed] if the social-democrats would turn out to be the largest political family.