Europe

Rift Over Migration Breaks Up Belgian Government Coalition

Prime Minister Charles Michel says his reshuffled minority government will remain in place until elections in May.

Rift Over Migration Breaks Up Belgian Government Coalition
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Belgium's prime minister reorganized his government Sunday morning after one of the biggest parties in it pulled out of the ruling coalition.

The conservative New Flemish Alliance left the coalition after Prime Minister Charles Michel refused to withdraw his government's support for a U.N. compact on migration. A handful of other European countries have withdrawn from the compact already. 

While the compact isn't a binding agreement, detractors claim it hurts countries' sovereignty and could encourage more migration — something far-right movements in Europe have actively campaigned against.

Michel says the minority government he set up will remain in place until Belgium's next election, which is scheduled for May.