After three days of closed door negotiations, Belgium’s King Albert II accepted the resignation of the country’s current government on Monday. Formerly led by Prime Minister Yves Leterme, the government had been in crisis for over a year, giving rise to the calls for the break-up of Belgium. 
According to Bloomberg.com, the King chose veteran politician Wilfried Martens to clear the way for a new government.
“We’re in a very difficult situation,” said Xavier Mabille, head of Crisp, a Brussels research institute. “This government crisis comes at a very bad time. We’re in late December and we have no budget for the new year.”
Leterme’s offer to step down followed allegations from the highest court that the government sought to interfere in a court case on the bailout of the troubled Fortis bank.
It is likely the leading political parties will now seek to broker a coalition without immediately calling for new elections.
The government’s collapse prolongs an 18-month political stalemate, as tensions between the richer Dutch-speaking north and poorer French-speaking south put the survival of Belgium in doubt.
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