Government formation is the process in a
parliamentary system
A parliamentary system, or parliamentarian democracy, is a system of democratic governance of a state (or subordinate entity) where the executive derives its democratic legitimacy from its ability to command the support ("confidence") of th ...
of selecting a
prime minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...
and
cabinet members. If no party controls a majority of seats, it can also involve deciding which parties will be part of a
coalition government. It usually occurs after an election, but can also occur after a
vote of no confidence
A motion of no confidence, also variously called a vote of no confidence, no-confidence motion, motion of confidence, or vote of confidence, is a statement or vote about whether a person in a position of responsibility like in government or mana ...
in an existing government.
Delays or failures in forming a government
A failure to form a government is a type of
cabinet crisis where a coalition controlling a majority of seats cannot be agreed upon.
The process of government formation can sometimes be lengthy. For example, following the
2013 German federal election
Federal elections were held on 22 September to elect the members of the 18th Bundestag of Germany. At stake were all 598 seats to the Bundestag, plus 33 overhang seats determined thereafter. The Christian Democratic Union of Germany/ Christian ...
, Germany engaged in 85 days of government formation negotiations, the longest in the nation's post-war history. The outcome was the
third Merkel cabinet
The Third Merkel cabinet (German: ''Kabinett Merkel III'') was the 23rd Government of the Federal Republic of Germany during the 18th legislative session of the Bundestag. Installed after the 2013 federal election, it left office on 14 March 20 ...
, another
grand coalition led by
Angela Merkel
Angela Dorothea Merkel (; ; born 17 July 1954) is a German former politician and scientist who served as Chancellor of Germany from 2005 to 2021. A member of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), she previously served as Leader of the Opp ...
.
Belgium
Belgian governments are typically
coalition governments due to the split between the Flemish and French parts of the country. On occasion, this has led to a situation where no party is able to form a government but the
Parliament
In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the government via hearings and inquiries. Th ...
does not vote to return to the polls. This occurred most notably in 2010–11, when
Belgium operated without a government for 541 days. Though there were calls for drastic measures to resolve the issue, including via a
partition of Belgium, government services were not disrupted due to the implementation of a
caretaker government and the devolution of most key functions.
See also
*
Formateur
A formateur (French for "someone who forms, who constitutes") is a politician who is appointed to lead the formation of a coalition government, after either a general election or the collapse of a previous government. The role of the formateur ...
*
Dutch cabinet formation
References
{{Government-stub
Beginnings