Belgian King Albert II has accepted government’s resignation after coalition breaks down

Belgium’s king accept government’s resignation

BRUSSELS — Belgium King Albert II has accepted the government’s resignation after the coalition of the prime minister broke down last week.

Prime Minister Yves Leterme’s government collapsed last week after negotiations broke down to resolve a long-simmering dispute between Dutch- and French-speaking politicians over a bilingual voting district.

The king waited however to see if last-ditch negotiations could still keep the government together. Late Monday it became clear the differences between the linguistic groups were too deep. Elections are likely to be called in early June.