Leterme finds asylum at the OECD

Published on 14 September 2011 at 11:58

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“Leterme flees politics,” headlines Belgian daily De Morgen. The Flemish-language paper explains that on September 16, the Secretary-General of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Angel Gurria will announce the appointment of the Belgian Interim Prime Minister, Yves Leterme as his deputy for a two year term. Yves Leterme will begin his new functions once a new federal government is established in Belgium, which seen the current rate of progress in the negotiations, could take some time. For his party, the Flemish Christian Democrats (CD&V), this is another “blow in just a few weeks,” after the announced departure from the government of Inge Vervotte, Minister for the Civil Service and Public Works. For Wouter Verschelden, editor-in-chief of the paper, the OECD post represents “an exit from the quagmire of national politics”. As of September, political leaders have been unable, for the past 458 days, to form a new federal government due to the on-going discord between French and Dutch speakers.

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