Editing Guy Verhofstadt (section)

===Verhofstadt III===
{{main|Verhofstadt III Government}}
Verhofstadt led the VLD into the [[2007 Belgian general election|2007 general election]]. Already with the [[2006 Belgian municipal elections|2006 municipal elections]], the VLD showed signs of fatigue with the Flemish voter, who seem to have had enough of eight years of Verhofstadt, and the purple coalition governments. In an evening speech on election day, Verhofstadt conceded defeat and asked for a new generation to lead the VLD; he was to step down as prime minister after formation of a new government. However, the [[2007 Belgian government formation|formation of a new government]] was complicated, and in the end, CD&V politician [[Yves Leterme]] failed to bring about a new government.<ref name="bloomberg"/>

Yet certain policy matters became politically urgent. The King therefore asked Verhofstadt to mediate an "interim government" that would be in office for three months and could propose a 2008 budget. A deal was struck in December, and the "interim government" was set for inauguration on 21 December 2007. Two days later, this interim government won a vote of confidence in parliament, with 97 votes in favor, 46 opposed, and one abstention, assuring its legitimacy for three months.<ref name="bloomberg">{{cite news|title=Belgium's Interim Government Wins Parliamentary Confidence Vote|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601085&sid=aixhkPdyS18A&refer=europe|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120721160522/http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601085&sid=aixhkPdyS18A&refer=europe|url-status=dead|archive-date=21 July 2012|publisher=[[Bloomberg L.P.|Bloomberg]]|date=23 December 2007|access-date=3 August 2014}}</ref>

One of the first decisions of the new government, on 21 December 2007, was to raise the security level after foiling an attempted jail break of an Al Qaeda operative.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/21/AR2007122102160.html |title=Belgium Arrests 14 in Plot to Free Inmate Linked to Al-Qaeda |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=22 December 2007 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2007-dec-22-fg-jailbreak22-story.html |title=14 held amid high terrorism alert in Belgium |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=22 December 2007 }}</ref>

Belgium was one of the first countries to recognise [[Kosovo]]'s unilateral [[2008 Kosovo declaration of independence|declaration of independence]] on 24 February 2008.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ad.nl/buitenland/article2082987.ece|title=België erkent Kosovo|language=nl|date=25 February 2008|publisher=[[Algemeen Dagblad]]}}</ref>

A "permanent government" under leadership of [[Yves Leterme]] assumed office on 20 March 2008.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Belgium Finally Gets a Government|url=http://content.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1697607,00.html|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|date=21 December 2007|access-date=3 August 2014}}</ref>