#BELGIUM: PM Michel Resigns Over Support For UN.Migration Pact After Violent Protests

[world politics news]

Prime Minister Charles Michel has resigned after losing a Socialist-led vote of no confidence amid a political crisis over the controversial UN migration pact. Michel told parliament he would take his offer to quit to the king. 

He was forced to reshuffle his government to avert its collapse after the New Flemish Alliance party pulled their support in protest over Belgium’s decision to adopt the United Nation’s Global Compact on Migration, a decision which sparked violent protests in the nation's capital.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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#BELGIUM: Coalition Partner Says It Will Not Support Gov't Signing UN Migration Accord; Gov't Insists It Will Still Sign It

[world politics news]

Prime Minister Charles Michel had promised to sign a new UN migration pact back in September, but that seemed in doubt this week after the Reform Movement Party's coalition partner, the New Flemish Alliance, expressed concerns about the proposal."We will not sign off on this text," said a spokesman for Theo Francken, secretary of state for asylum and migration, and prominent Alliance Party member.

The spokesman said the Global Pact for Migration is in conflict with the Belgian government’s own governing accords, established in 2014. Michel later reportedly "firmly" made known to his government partners that Belgium will sign the pact. Government officials argue that the pact is non-binding, but opponents disagree, saying it infringes on national sovereignty.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#EU: Wallonia Agrees On Canada Trade Deal After "Demands" Met

[world politics news]

Belgian political leaders have reached a consensus in support of the landmark EU-Canada trade deal, Prime Minister Charles Michel said, raising hopes it can be signed soon. Politicians from the French-speaking Wallonia region were holding up the deal, but now says their "demands" were met.

[FULL STORY HERE]

Pictured: PM Charles Michel and the EU's Jean-Claude Juncker.

#BELGIUM: Transport Min. Resigns Over Known Security Lapses At Brussels Airport

[world politics news]

Belgian Transport Minister Jacqueline Galant submitted her resignation to Prime Minister Charles Michel after being heavily criticized by the opposition of ignoring a report which criticized security at Brussels Airport long before the brutal attack. There has also been severe internal dissension within the Transportation Ministry over her style, and Michel complained he was never made aware of an audit by the EU earlier this that criticized security at the airport.

#BELGIUM: Interior, Justice Mins. Offer To Resign Over Security Lapses Before Attacks; PM Rejects

[world politics news]

Belgian Interior Minister Jan Jambon and Justice Minister Koen Geens presented their resignations, but their offers were declined by Prime Minister Charles Michel. Jambon and Geens reportedly offered to resign amid mounting concern that Belgium failed to act on warnings about Ibrahim el-Bakraoui before he blew himself up at the Brussels airport.

Pictured: Belgian Justice Min. Jan Jambon.