Left in political limbo

BELGIUM in the past few years has been in perpetual political crisis, with repeated collapses of government and clamour for the linguistically-split state to dissolve itself.

However, it is not entirely alone in such political limbo.

The Netherlands went for three months of 2010, from June to September, without a government. A coalition was eventually cobbled together, which included right-wing anti-Islam MP Geert Wilders and his Freedom Party.

In 1977, Holland went without an elected government for 207 days.

However, Iraq is the record holder, going from March until December last year with no functioning government as factions squabbled.