Belgium's new government sworn in

BRUSSELS -- Belgium's new government was sworn in on Monday, ending months of a political deadlock over forming a stable coalition government.

Bart De Wever, leader of the Flemish nationalist N-VA party that won the federal election last June, took office as prime minister.

This marks the first time that a Flemish nationalist leads the federal government.

The sworn-in ceremony took place at the Royal Palace at 9:00 am local time (0800 GMT), where De Wever and 14 ministers took the oath before King Philippe.

The new coalition, known as the "Arizona" alliance, brings together five major parties: the N-VA, the Flemish Christian Democrats, the socialist Vooruit, the French-speaking Reformist Movement, and the centrist Les Engages.

A deal was finalized by the five parties late Friday after months of difficult negotiations over budget cuts, tax hikes and pension reforms, which aim to stabilize Belgium's public finances.

The Arizona coalition has also outlined priorities, including increased defense spending, healthcare reform and stricter asylum policies.

Government formation in Belgium is often a lengthy process, complicated by the nation's economic, social and administrative divisions across its three regions: Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels-Capital, as the country is equally split into three linguistic communities: Dutch, French and German, each with their own governments.