Leterme takes Belgium back to uncertain future

(BRUSSELS) - Belgium is going back to an uncertain future with Yves Leterme's hastily arranged return as prime minister -- days after Herman Van Rompuy's elevation to the European Union's presidency.

Leterme, 49, only quit last December -- amid a scandal over a banking bailout -- as the embattled premier of a country deeply scarred by a linguistic rift further accentuated by economic inequality.

Cleared of wrongdoing and already rehabilitated when Van Rompuy restored him to his cabinet as the federal state's foreign minister in July, Flemish Christian Democrat Leterme will get to show how he has changed -- although he may not get long to do so.

Scepticism abounds over the prospects of avoiding renewed crisis and even a split between Dutch-speaking Flanders and francophone Wallonia -- the main regions north and south of Brussels which is the only officially bilingual area of the country.

Leterme also has a string of embarrassing gaffes to his name, including singing the French national anthem, La Marseillaise, to the Walloons.

He once said that all the Belgian people share is "the king, the national football team and certain beers."

Fluent in French and Dutch with parents from both linguistic communities -- Belgium also has a small German-speaking minority -- the father of three is staunchly Flemish and his stance has often rankled the poorer French-speaking Wallonia.

He further disparaged French speakers in 2006 as lacking the "intellectual capacity" to learn Dutch and stoked controversy by calling his country an "accident of history" and saying it has no "intrinsic value" as a state.

Deep-seated opposition thwarted a series of Leterme attempts at pushing through controversial reforms devolving Belgium's federal powers to the regions, before resigning along with his government on December 19.

Dubbed the "dull one," the Christian Democrat leader only succeeded in forming a coalition at the third attempt, in March 2008, after a crippling political limbo which set in after he won general elections in June 2007, but could not form a government.

He offered to resign the following month amid a crisis over devolving powers to regional authorities as demanded by Flemish parties, but King Albert II refused to let him go.

While he won praise that October for the rapid rescue of two big banks, minority shareholders successfully appealed against the government's orchestration of the sale of troubled Fortis' Belgian assets to France's BNP Paribas.

And in the wake of the ruling, his aides were accused by a top judge of seeking to influence justice officials in the case -- which proved to be the fatal blow to his government.

Second time around, Leterme will have to demonstrate a new-found ability to transcend regional and even national politics if he is to succeed -- with Belgium taking over the EU's rotating presidency for six months from Spain on July 1, 2010.

"It's now his second chance. He has all the elements to prove he will be a good prime minister. I hope so for him and for Belgium," said Van Rompuy Tuesday.