(Sound) Yves Leterme and his government were sworn into office by King Albert of Belgium Wednesday afternoon, less than a week after his predecessor, Herman Van Rompuy, was tapped to be the European Union's first permanent president.
VOA: standard.2009.11.25
Yves Leterme's initial efforts to form a coalition had foundered because he failed to persuade the French-speaking parties to accept a devolution of power to the regions.
For a record 535-plus days since an election in June 2010, the country has had a caretaker government under YvesLeterme (who is leaving to join the OECD).
During his first stop in Brussels, the Vice President met with NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek, leaders of the European Parliament, and Belgian Prime Minister YvesLeterme.