Ask a Belgian

[Jan H]

One thing I noticed is that the people in the government aren't the political leaders of the parties, is this correct?
Doesn't that give a bad signal? Of the parties not having faith in the new government?
Or does it have to do with the fact that Belgium has seven parliaments and political 'heads' are more spread out like that?

It's more or less tradition here that the jobs of party chairman and minister are not combined (notable exception in the previous government: Didier Reynders of the MR, but he no longer is party chairman now).
The chairmen are usually more involved behind the screens, coordinating between the federal and regional levels of government, and setting out the more general party lines (keeping the backbencher MPs in check).

I think it is similar as in the Netherlands, but with you, the difference between the "party chairman" and the "political leader of party" is even bigger.