The temporary escape last week of the convicted paedophile Marc Dutroux claimed another scalp yesterday with the widely expected resignation of the chief of the gendarmerie, Lieut-Gen Willy Deridder.
But the centre-left coalition of the Prime Minister, Mr Jean-Luc Dehaene, survived a parliamentary vote of confidence by a margin of 17 votes.
Speaking to parliament, Mr Dehaene acknowledged the need for a new sense of urgency in the reform of the police and judicial systems, and there is growing hope that major reforms may be possible this summer following signs that mainstream politicians are prepared to put aside inter-communal bickering, at least for the time being.
"The unthinkable happened," Mr Dehaene said, admitting that Dutroux's escape had dealt another devastating blow to public confidence in the country's criminal justice system and political institutions. The Prime Minister paid tribute to the "honourable" action of his justice and interior ministers, who resigned within hours of the escape. He also announced that Dutroux would in future have to consult his case file in his prison at Arlon.
Under the promised reforms, an integrated national police force will replace the country's three competing forces and a new supervisory body for the judiciary will be established. Mr Dehaene said draft legislation on reorganising the police would be presented to parliament by the middle of May.
But he faced bitter criticism from opposition Liberals for the delay in presenting reform plans in a debate that saw angry exchanges across the floor. Mr Patrick Dewael, leader of the Flemish Liberals (VLD), complained that the government had yet to come forward with elaborated proposals for the police and for a judicial council.
Mr Claude Eerdekens of the Francophone Socialists (PS) defended the prompt resignations of the two government ministers and warned that a general election would plunge the country into a dangerous political vacuum.
But on the right, the Flemish nationalists of the Volksunie could not resist joining speakers from the extreme right Vlaams Blok in pointing to Flemish resignees paying the price for a crisis they said was predominantly Walloon.
"The Belgian sickness can never be cured at a federal level," the leader of the Volksunie group, Ms Annenie van de Casteele, argued in pressing for the regionalisation of the judicial system.
Few are in doubt that any truce between the Flemish and French-speaking communities will be only temporary.
