Belgian PM announces resignation after 'difficult evening'

BRUSSELS, Belgium

Belgium's Prime Minister Alexander De Croo has announced his resignation after disappointing federal and regional election results.

"This is is a very difficult evening for us. We have lost this election," De Croo told supporters, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye.

His Flemish liberal party, Open VLD, is projected to lose almost half its seats in the Chamber of Representatives.

Sunday's vote in the linguistically divided country, which is split between Dutch-speaking Flanders in the north and French-speaking Wallonia in the south, was held on the same day as the European Parliament elections. 

The right-wing nationalist New Flemish Alliance (N-VA) is projected to finish in first place with 17% of the vote, with the far-right Vlaams Belang securing 14% of the vote.

"Our obituaries were written, but we won these elections," said N-VA leader Bart De Wever, who now looks a good bet to become Belgium's next prime minister.

The N-VA and Vlaams Belang are also expected to finish in first and second place in the Flemish parliament.

Parties in Flanders, including the N-VA, have a long-standing agreement to keep the far right out of government in the region.

De Wever, who wants to be the next prime minister, has repeatedly insisted that he will not make a deal with Vlaams Belang this time either.