An end to waffle?

THE euro crisis has toppled one European government after another. But in Belgium, speculators and Eurocrats are helping to create a new government—and not a moment too soon. For a record 535-plus days since an election in June 2010, the country has had a caretaker government under Yves Leterme (who is leaving to join the OECD). Now a deal should be struck in time for the bow-tied Elio Di Rupo, leader of Belgium's Francophone Socialist party, to join other EU leaders at next week's summit. Mr Di Rupo will be Belgium's first French-speaking prime minister since 1974. He is the first-ever of immigrant stock (his parents were Italian). It is “the American dream, Belgian style”, says a Flemish politician. And he will be a rare Socialist among European leaders.