BRUSSELS, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- The two informants appointed by King Philippe of Belgium to rally the country's political parties to form a federal government will continue their mission until Feb. 4, according to a statement released Tuesday by the Royal Palace of Belgium.
The two informants, Georges-Louis Bouchez and Joachim Coens, were received by King Philippe at the Royal Palace Tuesday afternoon.
After four hours of exchanges, King Philippe once again asked the informants to continue their mission until Feb. 4.
According to the statement, the extra time given to the informants will allow them to verify some elements and to submit their final conclusions.
Bouchez, one of the informants, was optimistic as he left the Palace. "The good news," he said, "is that there are still solutions, but there is a long way to go."
Belgium has not had a full-fledged government since December 2018, and negotiations to form a new coalition have been underway since the legislative elections on May 26, 2019.
Due to the economic, social and administrative aspects of the three regions of Belgium, namely the Flemish region, the Walloon region and the Brussels-Capital region, the formation of a federal government is generally a long process. Between 2010 and 2011, Belgium broke a record of 541 days without a government.
