Two for the last straight line

 At day 484 of the Belgian government negotiations king Philip has at last been able to send out a real 'formateur' to create a new government. Correction: he has sent out two, strengthening the impression that much remains to be solved, not the least the name of the new prime minister.

 King Philip received the two 'pre-formateurs', Conner Rousseau (president of the Flemish socialists) and Egbert Lachaert (president of the Flemish liberals) for their report at the Royal Palace in Brussels on Wednesday at 18:30. That was two days later than planned, as on Sunday a row had broken out about the manoeuvres and declarations of Georges-Louis Bouchez, the president of the French-speaking liberals.

Lachaert and Roussau (on the picture the latter just enters his official Volkswagen, while the liberal is already seated in his official Mercedes, after both made a declaration together at the gates of the Palace this evening) in the end still could report that they had achieved a basic agreement on the main issues between the seven parties around the table: two socialist, two liberal, two greens and the Flemish Christian democrats, controlling together 88 of the 150 seats in the federal parliament.

 Thereupon the Palace announced at 19:15 that the king had designated Paul Magnette, the president of the French-speaking socialists, and Alexander De Croo, since 2013 deputy prime minister for the Flemish liberals, to become the 'co-formateurs' of the new government. The formateur is normally the last negotiator before the government is formed.

 The fact that there were two formateurs to be sent out, was widely interpreted as an indication that there is still no agreement on who will become the next prime minister. Besides it is also obvious that the agreement both 'pre-formateurs' claimed to have obtained is indeed very 'general' and that many details have still to be negotiated, including the way to finance all those promises.

 On the other hand the latest evolutions seem to indicate a rather strong will among the seven parties to take the road together, if only to avoid new elections. The two formateurs have to report to the king on the 28th of August, so next Monday.