Belgium's PM Charles Michel resigns

Charles Michel

Belgium's Prime Minister Charles Michel announced his resignation from the post on Tuesday (local time). Calls for his resignation were made on December 16 when over 5,500 anti-migration protestors took to the streets in Brussels to demonstrate against Belgium being a signatory to the non-binding UN pact, the 'Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration'.

They claimed that the pact would boost migration to the European Union (EU), which has strict migratory policies. The police had to resort to using water cannon and tear gas to disperse crowds that had gotten violent after being asked to leave, according to France 24.

Counter-protests also took in the city at the same time in support of the UN agreement, that was worked on after a million migrants arrived in Europe in 2015 after fleeing war and strife in their nations.

Before this, the far-right N-VA party had pulled out from the coalition government in protest of the Prime Minister's decision to sign the UN pact on migration, leaving the Michel-led government in jeopardy.

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