Flemish nationalists to retain lead in Belgian parliament, far right gains

A person votes during the federal, regional and European Parliament elections in Brussels, Belgium, June 9, 2024. REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw

BRUSSELS (Reuters) -Flemish nationalist party N-VA (New Flemish Alliance) was on course to remain the largest party in Belgium's parliament on Sunday, holding off a bigger rise of far-right party Vlaams Belang (Flemish interest) which made the biggest gain.

The Flemish liberals of Prime Minister Alexander De Croo slumped, while the French-speaking liberal party Mouvement Reformateur was the biggest in Brussels and French-speaking Wallonia, setting the country on course for months of challenging coalition talks.