VOA标准英语2009-Belgian Politician Gets Second Chance as PM

Yves Leterme and his government were sworn into office by King Albert of Belgium Wednesday afternoon, less than a week after his predecessor¹, Herman Van Rompuy, was tapped to be the European Union's first permanent president.

Lisa Bryant | Paris 25 November 2009

Belgium's Yves Leterme is sworn in as new Prime Minister at the Royal Palace in Laeken near Brussels , 25 Nov 2009

Flemish politician Yves Leterme is getting a second shot as Belgian prime minister, just a year after he resigned over a financial scandal.

Yves Leterme and his government were sworn into office by King Albert of Belgium Wednesday afternoon, less than a week after his predecessor, Herman Van Rompuy, was tapped to be the European Union's first permanent president.

This is not the first time that Mr. Leterme, a Flemish Christian² Democrat³, has headed Belgium's government. He served as prime minister during a rocky nine months in 2008, before being forced out of office over allegations that his aids tried to influence a court ruling on a banking⁴ sale.

During his first tenure⁵, Mr. Leterme was unable to overcome deep divisions between the nation's Flemish and French speaking communities. He was also criticized for making a number of gaffes⁶, including not appearing to know the Belgian national anthem⁷.

The question many are asking now is: will he do any better this time around?  Former prime minister Wilfried Martens says the answer is yes. Martens was tasked to organize the government transition after Mr. Van Rompuy's departure.

In an interview on Belgian television, Mr. Martens said the political atmosphere is positive, and far different than last December, when he was again called to intervene in the country's political crisis. Then, he said, there was deep distrust among Belgian political parties. Today, he says, they want to negotiate.

Both Mr. Martens and Mr. Van Rompuy have expressed confidence in Mr. Leterme's abilities. King Albert has also tasked another former prime minister, Jean-Luc Dehaene, with proposing solutions for the regional problems dividing the country -- including ways to redraw political boundaries around Brussels.

1 predecessor   

n.前辈，前任

参考例句：

• It will share the fate of its predecessor.它将遭受与前者同样的命运。
• The new ambassador is more mature than his predecessor.新大使比他的前任更成熟一些。

2 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

3 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

4 banking   

n.银行业，银行学，金融业

参考例句：

• John is launching his son on a career in banking.约翰打算让儿子在银行界谋一个新职位。
• He possesses an extensive knowledge of banking.他具有广博的银行业务知识。

5 tenure   

n.终身职位；任期；(土地)保有权，保有期

参考例句：

• He remained popular throughout his tenure of the office of mayor.他在担任市长的整个任期内都深得民心。
• Land tenure is a leading political issue in many parts of the world.土地的保有权在世界很多地区是主要的政治问题。

6 gaffes   

n.失礼，出丑( gaffe的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The presidential candidate made three mistakes, or gaffes, during his speech. 校长候选人在演讲中出了三次错，或失态。 来自超越目标英语 第4册
• When the microphones were on, gaffes gushed from his lips. 而当电话响起，他却口无遮拦，屡屡失言。 来自互联网

7 anthem   

n.圣歌，赞美诗，颂歌

参考例句：

• All those present were standing solemnly when the national anthem was played.奏国歌时全场肃立。
• As he stood on the winner's rostrum,he sang the words of the national anthem.他站在冠军领奖台上，唱起了国歌。