Flemish nationalist Bart De Wever sworn in as Belgium's new prime minister

Flemish conservative Bart De Wever was sworn in February 3 as Belgium's new prime minister, after striking a hard-fought coalition deal that moves the country to the right, Report informs via AFP.

Struck late Friday after seven months of tortuous negotiations, the agreement makes De Wever the first nationalist from Dutch-speaking Flanders to be named Belgian premier.

The 54-year-old – who in recent years has backed off on calls for Flanders to become an independent country – took the oath of office before King Philippe, in a ceremony at the royal palace in Brussels. From there, he was expected to head straight to a gathering of EU leaders a few blocks away, for talks on defense and transatlantic relations.

Split between French- and Dutch-speaking communities and with a highly complex political system, Belgium has an unenviable record of painfully protracted coalition discussions – reaching 541 days back in 2010-2011. This time around, five groups sought to forge a coalition after June elections that failed to produce a clear majority – with talks led by De Wever's conservative N-VA which claimed the most seats.

The new government brings together three parties from Dutch-speaking Flanders: De Wever's N-VA, the centrist Christian Democrats and the leftist Vooruit ("Onward"). It also includes two from French-speaking Wallonia: the centrist Les Engagés and the centre-right Reformist Movement. Together, they hold an 81-seat majority in Belgium's 150-seat parliament.