Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel has resigned in the wake of a political dispute over his decision to sign the United Nations global migration pact, according to a report by the Financial Times.
A similar dispute nearly did the same the German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government, which came close to losing a no-confidence vote in Germany over the issue of migration.
Michel’s government, however, no longer holds a majority in the Belgian parliament and he did indeed lose the no-confidence vote brought by opposition parties last week. The right-wing Flemish N-VA party — the biggest party in his coalition — resigned from Michel’s government over the issue of migration, leaving him to manage a minority administration.
“I have taken the decision to submit my resignation and it is my intention to go to see the king immediately,” Michel told lawmakers after a debate in parliament, rather than face another no-confidence vote.
During a visit to Israel in 2017, Michel met with the leaders of the anti-Israel far-left organizations, Breaking the Silence and B’Tselem, prompting Israel’s foreign ministry to reprimand the Belgian Ambassador to Israel, Olivier Belle. During their meeting that week, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged his Belgian counterpart to stop his government’s indirect and direct support for groups that “act against IDF soldiers and against the State of Israel — including transferring funds indirectly.”
More than 5,000 protesters gathered last week in Brussels to demonstrate against the UN migration pact signed by Michel. U.S. President Donald Trump has categorically refused to sign the document, saying it harms sovereignty, legitimizes illegal migration and endangers the economy.