lem ish ▁parties , ▁the ▁al liance ▁of ▁Christian ▁Democratic ▁and ▁F lem ish ▁( CD & V ) ▁and ▁the ▁New - F lem ish ▁Alliance ▁( N - VA ) ▁received ▁an ▁increased ▁share ▁of ▁the ▁vote ▁from ▁the ▁previous ▁election , ▁held ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 3 . ▁The ▁CD & V / N - VA ▁list ▁was ▁head ed ▁by ▁Y ves ▁Let erme , ▁and ▁became ▁the ▁largest ▁political ▁formation ▁in ▁Belg ium , ▁thus ▁leading ▁the ▁coal ition ▁tal ks ▁for ▁a ▁new ▁government . ▁The ▁list ▁campaign ed ▁heavily ▁on ▁the ▁need ▁for ▁a ▁far - re aching ▁reform ▁of ▁the ▁Belg ian ▁state . ▁ ▁In ▁French - spe aking ▁Belg ium , ▁the ▁liberal ▁Reform ist ▁Mov ement ▁managed ▁to ▁defeat ▁the ▁long - domin ant ▁Social ist ▁Party ▁( PS ), ▁although ▁the ▁PS ▁remained ▁strong . ▁ ▁Form ation ▁negoti ations ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁election , ▁a ▁Christian ▁dem ocr atic ▁and ▁liberal ▁coal ition ▁was ▁proposed . ▁Because ▁of ▁the ▁differ ing ▁views ▁on ▁the ▁need ▁for ▁a ▁state ▁reform ▁on ▁both ▁sides ▁of ▁the ▁language ▁border , ▁it ▁took ▁the ▁parties ▁ 1 9 6 ▁days , ▁i . e . ▁over ▁ 6 ▁months , ▁following ▁the ▁election , ▁to ▁form ▁an ▁inter im ▁government . ▁That ▁set ▁a ▁record ▁as ▁the ▁longest ▁Belg ian ▁government ▁formation , ▁one ▁that ▁has ▁since ▁been ▁broken ▁by ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁formation . ▁ ▁Ver hof stadt ▁III