Although Leaders of Government (French: Chefs de Cabinet) had been appointed since the independence of the country, until 1918 the king of the Belgians often presided over the Council of Ministers, so the modern era of the "Premiership" started after World War I with Léon Delacroix.

Bart De Wever, the (former) leader of New-Flemish Alliance, was appointed as new prime minister on 3 February 2025.

With the expansion of voting rights after World War I, more political parties started to win seats in parliament—especially the Belgian Socialist Party—and this made it impossible to achieve an absolute majority in parliament.

Gradually, the head of Cabinet replaced the king more often during the first half of the twentieth century, and as such gained importance within government.

It is the prime minister who maintains contact with the king and presents the government policy statement in the Parliament.

Due to the state reform, the prime minister acquired a number of additional tasks, such as keeping in check the relations between the different regions and communities of the country, and presiding at the deliberative committee that consists of the governmental representatives of all the federal entities.

After the consultations, the king appoints an informateur who is in charge of collecting information from the different political parties about their demands for formation of a new government.

[4] It usually takes several months of negotiations before the formateur is ready to accept a formal royal invitation to form a government.

[5] At the time of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands (1815–1830), the building was planned to be used as the location for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

[6] In 1830 it was purchased by Prince Eugène of Ligne,[7] and from 1944, the building became state property, after which it was furnished to function as a meeting place for the prime minister and his cabinet.