ary ▁support ▁for ▁the ▁federal ▁government , ▁saying ▁that ▁the ▁ 1 5 - month - long ▁negoti ations ▁had ▁failed ▁to ▁result ▁in ▁state ▁reform . ▁The ▁withdraw al ▁of ▁support ▁pl ung ed ▁the ▁country ▁into ▁another ▁crisis . ▁Under ▁pressure ▁of ▁the ▁social ist ▁and ▁liberal ▁coal ition ▁partners , ▁the ▁only ▁N - VA ▁minister ▁in ▁the ▁F lem ish ▁government ▁( Ge ert ▁Bour ge ois ) ▁res igned ▁his ▁post . ▁ ▁On ▁ 1 9 ▁December ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁Let erme ▁again ▁offered ▁the ▁res ignation ▁of ▁the ▁government ▁to ▁the ▁king , ▁who ▁accepted ▁the ▁offer ▁on ▁ 2 2 ▁December . ▁The ▁res ignation ▁was ▁offered ▁after ▁news ▁broke ▁out ▁that ▁the ▁government ▁had ▁tried ▁to ▁interven e ▁in ▁the ▁ver dict ▁of ▁the ▁Fort is ▁case . ▁ ▁Van ▁Rom pu y ▁I ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁res ignation ▁of ▁Let erme ▁and ▁his ▁cabinet , ▁the ▁King ▁consult ed ▁various ▁dign itar ies ▁and ▁party ▁leaders . ▁He ▁then ▁appointed ▁Wil fried ▁Mart ens , ▁a ▁former ▁prime ▁minister ▁and ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁European ▁People ' s ▁Party , ▁to ▁consult ▁the ▁various ▁political ▁parties ▁and ▁p ave ▁the ▁way ▁to ▁a ▁new ▁" emer gency " ▁cabinet . ▁ ▁The ▁general ▁cons ensus ▁is ▁that ▁a ▁government ▁should ▁run ▁until ▁the ▁regional ▁and ▁European ▁Parliament ▁elections ▁in ▁June ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁or , ▁if ▁possible , ▁until ▁the ▁next ▁federal ▁election ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 1