{"page":"\u003clink rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https://lessonplanet.com/assets/packs/css/resources-c03aa079.css\" /\u003e\n\u003clink rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https://lessonplanet.com/assets/packs/css/lp_boclips_stylesheets-517835be.css\" media=\"all\" /\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-title='Main parties resume talks to reform state, broker new government' data-url='/boclips/videos/5c54be60d8eafeecae13b299' data-video-url='/boclips/videos/5c54be60d8eafeecae13b299' id='bo_player_modal'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='boclips-resource-page modal-dialog panel-container'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='react-notifications-root'\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-header'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-type'\u003e\n\u003ci aria-hidden='true' class='fai fa-regular fa-circle-play'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\nVideo\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch1 class='rp-title' id='video-title'\u003e\nMain parties resume talks to reform state, broker new government\n\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-actions'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='mr-1'\u003e\n\u003ca class=\"btn btn-success\" data-posthog-event=\"Signup: LP Signup Activity\" data-posthog-location=\"body_link_boclips\" data-remote=\"true\" href=\"/subscription/new\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGet Free Access\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e for 10 Days\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e!\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-body'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-info'\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-label='Hide resource details' class='rp-hide-info' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u0026times;\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ci aria-label='Expand resource details' class='rp-expand-info fai fa-solid fa-up-right-and-down-left-from-center' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003ci aria-label='Compress resource details' class='rp-compress-info fai fa-solid fa-down-left-and-up-right-to-center' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-rating'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='resource-pool'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='pool-label'\u003ePublisher:\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003cspan class='pool-name'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='text'\u003e\u003ca data-publisher-id=\"30356011\" href=\"/search?publisher_ids%5B%5D=30356011\"\u003eCurated Video\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-description'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='short-description'\u003e1. Wide exterior of Belgian Federal Parliament 2. Belgium flag 3. Press gathered inside Belgian Senate waiting for the 'Octopus' working group to arrive 4. Vice Premier Yves Leterme, Flemish Christian Democrats (CD\u0026amp;V), and Finance...\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003cspan class='full-description hide'\u003e1. Wide exterior of Belgian Federal Parliament \u003cbr/\u003e2. Belgium flag \u003cbr/\u003e3. Press gathered inside Belgian Senate waiting for the 'Octopus' working group to arrive \u003cbr/\u003e4. Vice Premier Yves Leterme, Flemish Christian Democrats (CD\u0026amp;V), and Finance Minister Didier Reynders, Francophone Liberals (MR), arriving in Senate room to open Octopus working group session \u003cbr/\u003e5. Wide of working group French-speaking delegates \u003cbr/\u003e6. French-speaking politicians, Elio Di Rupo (red bowtie) leader of the Francophone Socialist Party (PS) and Joelle Milquet, leader of the Francophone Christian Democrats (CDH)\u003cbr/\u003e7. SOUNDBITE: (French) Yves Leterme, Vice Premier and leader of the Octopus working group: \u003cbr/\u003e\"Ladies and gentleman, in the past few months the feeling has grown that the time has arrived to make that extra step. The sixth step towards a modern, competent, performance-driven and federalism, which will enable all political levels to respond efficiently to the rapid changes taking place in the private sphere of people. A federalism whereby every entity has adequate institutions at its disposal and responsibilities that are clearly defined and sufficient financial means and its proper responsibilities to enable it to act strongly and efficiently in certain domains.\" \u003cbr/\u003e8. Pan from Flemish delegates to Francophone delegates \u003cbr/\u003e9. Reynders (left) and previous government formation mediator Herman Van Rompuy (right) listening to Leterme's opening speech \u003cbr/\u003e10. Flemish Socialist Party delegates (SPA) \u003cbr/\u003e11. Bart de Wever (left), leader of the tiny Flemish Nationalist party (NVA) ally of Flemish Christian Democrats (CD\u0026amp;V)\u003cbr/\u003e12. Delegates applauding at end of Leterme's opening speech \u003cbr/\u003e13. Leterme and Reynders arriving for press conference \u003cbr/\u003e14. SOUNDBITE: (French) Yves Leterme, Vice Premier and leader of the Octopus working group: \u003cbr/\u003e\"I do not think we should overly dramatise the situation. I think it is important that we are able to make a step towards a better division of power and responsibilities and the reinforcement of the federal state and its powers to really assume its responsibilities. And so we should not dramatise the situation today. I think that, as you have seen earlier, negotiations have restarted again and together we reached an agreement about an agenda and there is a willingness to arrive at solutions for political issues that are certainly not the easiest. But I think we can find solutions.\" \u003cbr/\u003e15. Wide of Leterme and Reynders at press conference \u003cbr/\u003e16. SOUNDBITE: (French) Didier Reynders, Finance Minister: \u003cbr/\u003e\"This is not the last chance we have. We continually look for a balance, to find a new balance for Belgian institutions, as is continually done in other countries like we also regularly do in Europe. So here we have tried to gather around the table delegates that will allow this equilibrium.\" \u003cbr/\u003e17. Cutaway press \u003cbr/\u003e18. Wide of Leterme and Reynders leaving press conference\u003cbr/\u003eBelgian political parties from both sides of the language border resumed talks on Tuesday, seeking to find a basis for a new government and a way to give Dutch-speaking Flanders and Francophone Wallonia more autonomy.   \u003cbr/\u003eThe so-called Octopus talks group, which includes the Christian Democrat, Socialist, Liberal and Green parties, all split along linguistic lines, will have two months to find a breakthrough. \u003cbr/\u003eThe parties pick up where half a year of unsuccessful negotiations left off last month.   \u003cbr/\u003eIn the meantime, outgoing Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt is leading an interim government until March 23.  \u003cbr/\u003e\"In the past few months the feeling has grown that the time has arrived to make that extra step. The sixth step towards a modern, competent, performance-driven and federalism,\" said Vice Premier Yves Leterme.\u003cbr/\u003eLeterme has begun a third attempt to get a reform deal since he won the June 10 elections for the Flemish Christian Democrats.   \u003cbr/\u003eHe rated his chances better now since the parties involved in the talks represent some 80 percent of seats in the legislatures, more than enough for the required two-thirds majority for a constitutional reform.   \u003cbr/\u003e\"This is not the last chance we have. We continually look for a balance, to find a new balance for Belgian institutions, as is continually done in other countries like we also regularly do in Europe,\" said Finance Minister Didier Reynders, the Francophone Liberal who won the elections on the Francophone side.   \u003cbr/\u003eObservers though, give the negotiations little more chance at success than the six months of political plodding which preceded it. \u003cbr/\u003eOn the key issues of devolution and territorial changes, neither sides is showing a willingness to budge.\u003cbr/\u003eThe interim government led by Verhofstadt includes the Liberal and Christian Democrat ministers from both sides of Belgium's linguistic divide, plus the French-speaking Socialists. \u003cbr/\u003eTogether, the five parties hold 111 of the 150 seats in the chamber. \u003cbr/\u003eThe coalition's programme is designed to tackle economic, social and environmental issues neglected during the 194-day political crisis, but it will not touch the language dispute, which will be dealt by the Octopus talks group.\u003cbr/\u003eNow Leterme has the task of reconciling Francophone opposition to Flemish demands for more regional autonomy - particularly over issues like taxation and social security. \u003cbr/\u003eFrancophone parties fear that would cut funding to Wallonia, their poorer southern region. \u003cbr/\u003eThey are also concerned about the rights of French-speakers in Flemish suburbs around Brussels.  \u003cbr/\u003eVerhofstadt, a Flemish Liberal who was a major loser in the June 10 elections, has vowed to leave office on March 23, putting pressure on the political parties to find a compromise.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='action-container flex justify-between'\u003e\n\u003cbutton aria-expanded='false' aria-label='Read more description' class='rp-full-description' type='button'\u003e\n\u003ci class='fai fa-solid fa-align-left'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003cspan id='read_more'\u003eRead 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