Conservative Bart De Wever was sworn in Monday as Belgium’s new prime minister, after striking a hard-fought coalition deal that moves the country to the right. Struck late Friday after seven months of tortuous negotiations, the agreement makes De Wever the first nationalist from Dutch-speaking Flanders to be named Belgian premier. A law-and-order candidate whose coalition has already promised to crack down on irregular migration, De Wever’s rise to power reinforces a marked right-wing shift in European politics. The 54-year-old, who in recent years has backed off on calls for Flanders to become an independent country, took the oath of office before King Philippe, in a ceremony at the royal palace in Brussels. From there, he is to head straight to a gathering of EU leaders a few blocks away, for talks on defence and transatlantic relations. “And now to work,” the incoming leader posted on social media X, alongside a photo of the swearing-in. De Wever’s N-VA is part of the hard-right ECR group in the European Parliament, which also includes lawmakers from the parties of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Czech leader Petr Fiala. “Our ECR group now has three prime ministers at the European Council table and participates in the government of seven countries,” French hard-right lawmaker Marion Marechal rejoiced on X.