The Verhofstadt III government was an interim

Caretaker government

Caretaker government is a type of government that rules temporarily. A caretaker government is often set up following a war until stable democratic rule can be restored, or installed, in which case it is often referred to as a provisional government...

 Belgian

Belgium

Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

 government inaugurated on December 21, 2007 and lasting until 23 March 2008. It was led by Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt

Guy Verhofstadt

Guy Verhofstadt is a Belgian politician who was the 47th Prime Minister of Belgium from 1999 to 2008. He is currently a Member of the European Parliament and leader of the Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe.- Early career :...

 government and contained representatives from the Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats (Open VLD), Flemish Christian Democrats

Christian Democratic and Flemish

The Christian Democratic and Flemish is a political party of Belgium, formerly called Christian People's Party...

 (CD&V), the Francophone Socialists

Socialist Party (francophone Belgium)

The Socialist Party is a Francophone social-democratic political party in Belgium. As of the 2010 elections, it is the second largest party in the Belgian Chamber of Representatives and the largest Francophone party...

 (PS), the Francophone Liberals

Reformist Movement

The Reformist Movement is a French-speaking liberal political party in Belgium. The party was in coalition as part of the Leterme II Government, and was also part of the governing coalition in the Walloon Region and Brussels-Capital Region until the 2004 regional elections...

 (MR) and Francophone Christian Democrats

Humanist Democratic Centre

The Humanist Democratic Centre is a Francophone Christian democratic political party in Belgium. The cdH currently participates in the Government of the Brussels-Capital Region, the Government of the French Community and the Walloon Government.- History :...

 (CDH).

It was succeeded by a permanent government

Leterme I Government

The Leterme I Government was the federal government of Belgium from 20 March 2008 to 22 December 2008. It took office when the Flemish Christian democrat Yves Leterme was sworn in as Prime Minister...

 led by CD&V leader Yves Leterme

Yves Leterme

Yves Camille Désiré Leterme is a Flemish Belgian politician, a leader of the Christian Democratic and Flemish party , and the 48th Prime Minister of Belgium.Leterme was the Prime Minister of Belgium from March 2008 to December 2008...

.

Formation of government

When the Parliament confirmed the formation of this interim Government, it had been 196 days since the Belgian people had voted out the previous coalition, the longest period of formation in Belgian history.

Composition of government

The government consisted only of ministers. The composition of the interim Government as decided in the inaugural Council of Ministers is as follows:

Minister	Name	Party
Prime Minister	Guy Verhofstadt Guy Verhofstadt Guy Verhofstadt is a Belgian politician who was the 47th Prime Minister of Belgium from 1999 to 2008. He is currently a Member of the European Parliament and leader of the Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe.- Early career :...	Open VLD
Deputy Prime Minister - Finance and Institutional Reform	Didier Reynders Didier Reynders Didier J.L. Reynders is a Belgian politician and a member of the Mouvement Réformateur . He is Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance and Institutional Reforms in the Van Rompuy I Government, which took office on 30 December 2008.He was born in Liège as the youngest in a family of...	MR
Deputy Prime Minister - Budget, Mobility and Institutional Reform	Yves Leterme Yves Leterme Yves Camille Désiré Leterme is a Flemish Belgian politician, a leader of the Christian Democratic and Flemish party , and the 48th Prime Minister of Belgium.Leterme was the Prime Minister of Belgium from March 2008 to December 2008...	CD&V
Deputy Prime Minister - Social Affairs and Public Health	Laurette Onkelinx Laurette Onkelinx Laurette A.J. Onkelinx is a Belgian politician from the Francophone Socialist Party. She is the Minister of Social Affairs and Public Health in the Belgian federal government, i.e., the Van Rompuy I Government, which took office on 30 December 2008.-Biography:Born to Gaston Onkelinx and Germaine...	PS Socialist Party (francophone Belgium) The Socialist Party is a Francophone social-democratic political party in Belgium. As of the 2010 elections, it is the second largest party in the Belgian Chamber of Representatives and the largest Francophone party...
Interior	Patrick Dewael Patrick Dewael Patrick Yvonne Hugo Dewael, in Lier, Belgium is a liberal Belgian politician. He is a member of the Flemish Liberals and Democrats, or Vlaamse Liberalen en Democraten . He is the nephew of the late liberal minister Herman Vanderpoorten and the cousin of Marleen Vanderpoorten, who also served as...	Open VLD
Foreign Affairs	Karel De Gucht Karel De Gucht Karel Lodewijk Georgette Emmerence De Gucht is a Belgian politician who has been the European Commissioner for Trade since 2010...	Open VLD
Economy, the Self-employed and Agriculture	Sabine Laruelle Sabine Laruelle Sabine Laruelle is a Belgian politician. She was Belgian Minister of Economy, the Self-employed and Agriculture in the Verhofstadt III government inaugurated on 21 December 2007. She is now Minister for SMEs, the Self-employed, Agriculture and Science Policy in the Leterme I Government, which took...	MR
Pensions and Social Integration	Christian Dupont Christian Dupont Christian Dupont is a Belgian politician, member of the French-speaking Socialist Party. Currently Minister for Education in the French Community Government . Was Federal Belgian Minister of Pensions and Social Integration in the Verhofstadt III government from December 2007 until March 2008...	PS Socialist Party (francophone Belgium) The Socialist Party is a Francophone social-democratic political party in Belgium. As of the 2010 elections, it is the second largest party in the Belgian Chamber of Representatives and the largest Francophone party...
Employment	Josly Piette Josly Piette Josly Piette is a Belgian politician. He is Belgian Minister of Employment in the interim Verhofstadt III government, inaugurated on December 21, 2007.- External links :...	CDH
Justice	Jo Vandeurzen Jo Vandeurzen Johan Maria Gerardus "Jo" Vandeurzen is a Belgian politician, member of Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams , a centrist Flemish Christian Democratic party. He was the Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Justice and Institutional Reforms in the Leterme I Government , which took office on 20...	CD&V
Defence	Pieter De Crem Pieter De Crem Pieter Frans Norbert Jozef Raymond De Crem is a Belgian, Flemish politician and member of Christian Democratic and Flemish . He is the current Minister of Defense in the Belgian federal government. He has been a Member of the Belgian Chamber of Representatives since 1995. He headed the CD&V...	CD&V
Climate and Energy	Paul Magnette Paul Magnette Paul Magnette is a Belgian politician for the PS and former political science professor at the Universite Libre de Bruxelles ....	PS Socialist Party (francophone Belgium) The Socialist Party is a Francophone social-democratic political party in Belgium. As of the 2010 elections, it is the second largest party in the Belgian Chamber of Representatives and the largest Francophone party...
Development Cooperation	Charles Michel Charles Michel (Belgian politician) Charles Michel is a Belgian politician, and the son of Louis Michel. As of February 2011, Charles Michel is the Chairman of the francophone liberal party MR....	MR
Civil Service and Public Enterprises	Inge Vervotte Inge Vervotte Inge Vervotte is a Belgian politician for the Christian Democratic and Flemish party . She was Belgian federal minister for Civil Service and Public Enterprises in the Leterme I Government, which was in office in 2008 from 20 March to 30 December.Born in Bonheiden, she graduated in 1998 at the...	CD&V

The Restricted Council of Ministers (KERN) is the arbitration arm of the executive, which arbitrates disputes within the Government. Under the interim Government, it consists of the Prime Minister and five members of Government representing the five parties in coalition, namely both Deputy Prime Ministers as well as the Minister of Employment, the Minister of Social Affairs and Public Health and the Minister of the Interior.

Under the interim Government deal, it was understood that Yves Leterme will take over the post of Prime Minister no later than 23 March. On March 20, Leterme officially succeeded Verhofstadt and a new government was formed.

Government declaration

The government declaration to which the parties agreed consists of ten points. The main task of the government is to prepare the 2008 budget. Social security benefits will be increased, and businesses will see their shift work costs reduced. A service agreement will be negotiated with the national railway operator. A national security plan is proposed, and the Treaty of Lisbon

Treaty of Lisbon

The Treaty of Lisbon of 1668 was a peace treaty between Portugal and Spain, concluded at Lisbon on 13 February 1668, through the mediation of England, in which Spain recognized the sovereignty of Portugal's new ruling dynasty, the House of Braganza....

will see a quick ratification.

Government policy

One of the first actions of the newly installed government was to raise the Belgian security level in response to a possible Islamic terrorist threat.