- BRUSSELS: Negotiators for six political parties in Belgium are pressing on with efforts to form a permanent government after nearly a year and a half without one.
Yves Leterme, the outgoing caretaker prime minister, said Saturday it was important that a deal on the country’s budget be reached soon.
But he warned that the damage caused by the political stalemate would not be quickly undone and the interest Belgium must pay when it borrows money will not immediately drop.
“Mistrust comes galloping and trust arrives by foot,” Leterme said on VRT radio.
Standard & Poor’s downgraded Belgium’s credit rating Friday, citing the government stalemate and a looming European recession.
