Belgian political parties set 'world record' for coalition delay

Belgians are celebrating a 'world record' as their political leaders reach crisis day 249 in their efforts to form a government.

Many see this as equalling the world record for the longest talks to try to form a government, held by Iraq.

In Ghent, they hope 249 people will strip naked to mark the days of the crisis as part of a party expected to draw thousands.

There will be free chips, Belgium's beloved national dish, in Leuven and lots of Belgian beer in the French-speaking town of Louvain-la-Neuve. In short, parties galore for what many across the world would consider a humiliation.

The delay has led for calls for spouses of Belgian politicians to withhold sex - a tactic that is thought to have taken a mere 10 days to succeed in Kenya.

The crisis pits the leaders of six million Dutch-speaking Flemings against those of 4.5 million French speakers.