Man with knife overpowered at Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo’s residence

Staff Writers
Deutsche Presse Agentur
Alexander De Croo has resigned as Belgian prime minister but remains in a caretaker role.
Alexander De Croo has resigned as Belgian prime minister but remains in a caretaker role. Credit: AAP

A man wielding a knife has been arrested at the official residence of Belgium’s outgoing prime minister Alexander De Croo.

The man tried to enter the location in Brussels on Monday morning before threatening military police officers who were present, the country’s Belga news agency reported.

They restrained the man, whose motives for the intrusion were initially unclear.

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No one was injured.

De Croo was shocked by the incident, according to his spokesman.

“We would like to expressly thank the officers of the military police,” the spokesman said.

Together with the police, the situation was being closely monitored, he added.

Meanwhile, the formation of a new coalition government in Belgium continues following last June’s parliamentary elections.

De Croo resigned as prime minister after his Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats (Open VLD) party lost many of its seats but remains with his cabinet in a caretaker role until a new government is formed.

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