"I was the figurehead of this campaign. This is not the result I had hoped for, and I therefore take responsibility for this result. It was not meant to be," De Croo told the media, struggling to hold back tears. "As of tomorrow, I will be resigning as prime minister and I will fully concentrate on current affairs."

De Croo will remain as caretaker prime minister until a new coalition, currently involving seven parties, is formed. Following protocol, he will submit his resignation to Belgium’s King Philippe on Monday at the royal palace in Brussels.

The election results revealed that the French-speaking liberal party Mouvement Reformateur was the largest in Brussels and French-speaking Wallonia, indicating the likelihood of challenging coalition negotiations ahead.

The elections took place amidst triple elections for regional and European positions, with preliminary results showing the far-right making substantial gains. With over 90% of the votes counted, N-VA held a clear lead over Vlaams Belang, while De Croo’s party had fallen to ninth place, according to partial results published on the interior ministry’s website.

Neither N-VA nor Vlaams Belang, which advocates for anti-immigrant policies and the dissolution of Belgium, are part of the current seven-party governing coalition. Despite securing around 22% of the vote for the Flemish parliament and 14% for the federal parliament, Vlaams Belang is expected to remain excluded from power.

The anti-immigration Eurosceptic party had aimed for a dominant performance to push their way into the regional government, similar to the success of their ally Geert Wilders in the Netherlands last year. However, their significant gains did not translate into immediate power within the Belgian government structure. (ILKHA)