Belgian premier announces resignation after his party’s defeat in EU elections

Alexander De Croo announced his resignation as Belgium’s prime minister in a dramatic turn of events following European elections, media reports said Sunday.

The announcement came after a significant defeat for his party, the Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats (Open VLD), which garnered only 5.9% of the vote, with nearly 90% of the votes counted in the federal election, according to the Italian news agency Agenzia Nova.

Despite the disappointing results, De Croo remained optimistic about the future of the Liberals, saying they “are strong. We will return."

Belgium will continue to hold the rotating presidency of the European Council, which changes every six months among member states, until June 30, 2024.

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