Government formation is the process in a

parliamentary system A parliamentary system, or parliamentary democracy, is a form of government where the head of government (chief executive) derives their Election, democratic legitimacy from their ability to command the support ("confidence") of a majority of t ...

of selecting a

prime minister A prime minister 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. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

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 A coalition government, or coalition cabinet, is a government by political parties that enter into a power-sharing arrangement of the executive. Coalition governments usually occur when no single party has achieved an absolute majority after an ...

. It usually occurs after an election, but can also occur after a

vote of no confidence A motion or vote of no confidence (or the inverse, a motion or vote of confidence) is a motion and corresponding vote thereon in a deliberative assembly (usually a legislative body) as to whether an officer (typically an executive) is deemed fi ...

in an existing government. The equivalent phenomenon in presidential republics is a presidential transition.

Delays or failures in forming a government

A failure to form a government is a type of cabinet crisis where a functional cabinet (whether a majority or a minority government ruling with a confidence and supply agreement) cannot be formed. Such a problem typically occurs after an inconclusive election, but can also happen if a formerly-stable government falls apart mid-term and new elections are not called. The process of government formation can sometimes be lengthy. For example, following the 2013 German federal election, 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, another

grand coalition A grand coalition is an arrangement in a multi-party parliamentary system in which the two largest political party, political parties of opposing political spectrum, political ideologies unite in a coalition government. Causes of a grand coali ...

led by Angela Merkel. During the formation process, the outgoing ministers typically remains in office as a

caretaker government A caretaker government, also known as a caretaker regime, is a temporary ''ad hoc'' government that performs some governmental duties and functions in a country until a regular government is elected or formed. Depending on specific practice, it co ...

. If the cabinet formation process is lengthy, this can result in a substantial extension of their term; Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte did not run for re-election in the 2023 Dutch general election, but remained in office for 7 months during the cabinet formation.

Belgium

Belgian governments are typically coalition governments due to the split between the Flemish and French-speaking 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: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

does not vote to return to the polls. This occurred most notably in 2010–11, when Belgium was ruled by a caretaker government for a year and a half. Though there were calls for drastic measures to resolve the issue, including via a partition of Belgium, government functions continued without interruption under the

References

{{Government-stub Beginnings

Delays or failures in forming a government

Belgium

See also

References