Coronavirus hits Belgian government coalition talks

A key negotiator trying to cobble a coalition government together has tested positive for COVID-19, dampening hopes that one of Belgium's longest political impasses could be broken soon, co-negotiator Conner Rousseau said Wednesday. Dutch-speaking Liberal Egbert Lachaert has the coronavirus, forcing key politicians from six other center-left and center-right parties to resort to video conferencing as they try to hammer out a government program.

Belgium currently has a minority government led by Prime Minister Sophie Wilmes, but attempts to form a majority coalition have been unsuccessful since the May 2019 elections. There had been hopes that Lachaert could bring together a coalition of socialists, liberals, greens and Christian Democrats by Sep. 17 but the positive test will make that difficult.

COVID-19 cases had been on the wane for weeks in Belgium before a slight resurgence last week, although at far lower rates that the initial spike in March.

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