The crisis came to an end in December 2011 with the inauguration of a new federal government which agreed on partition of the BHV district and on policies aimed at tackling the economic downturn.
In December 2008, another crisis related to the Fortis case, erupted, again destabilising the country and resulting in the resignation of Belgian Prime Minister Yves Leterme.
[7] On 13 September 2011 it was reported that Leterme aimed to take up a new job as deputy secretary general of the OECD in 2012, although that it seemed to be unlikely at that time that he'd leave the post as the head of the caretaker government before the end of the year.
Because of the differing views on the need for a state reform on both sides of the language border, it took the parties 196 days, i.e. over 6 months, following the election, to form an interim government.
On 17 December 2007, incumbent Prime Minister of Belgium Guy Verhofstadt was asked by the King of the Belgians Albert II to start the formation of an interim government that would last until 23 March 2008, when Leterme would take over.
The royal palace said that the King had asked two senior French-speaking politicians, Ministers of State François-Xavier de Donnea (MR) and Raymond Langendries (CdH), and the Minister-President of the German-speaking Community, Karl-Heinz Lambertz (SP), to establish how to start talks about institutional reform.
[16] Under pressure of the socialist and liberal coalition partners, the only N-VA minister in the Flemish government (Geert Bourgeois) resigned his post.
On 28 December, King Albert II gave Herman Van Rompuy the task of forming a new government, which would include the current ruling parties.
An early election was held on 13 June 2010, resulting in the New Flemish Alliance (N-VA) winning most votes in the Flemish-speaking areas and the Socialist Party (PS) in French-speaking Belgium.
[19] During that period several people had made failed attempts to create an agreement, until Elio Di Rupo finally succeeded (in chronological order and all appointed by the King): Towards the end of July 2011, as government formation had been dragging on for over a year, party leaders of the separatist Walloon Rally (which does not have any seats in parliament) have had talks with the Union for a Popular Movement party of French President Nicolas Sarkozy and the French Socialists.
[20] The Belgian minister for Climate and Energy, Paul Magnette, also suggested to incorporate Wallonia into Germany instead of France if the crisis in Belgium were to escalate.