Leterme’s resurrection came as a result of the elevation of Herman Van Rompuy to President of the European Council, after not quite a year in the prime minister’s job. Van Rompuy left with a reputation as a conciliator, able to bring different views together. But his term in office was marked by one more thing: the decision not to pursue state reform, something on which Leterme had staked his reputation.

With Van Rompuy’s departure, Leterme, 49, now takes up office in Wetstraat 16 to find that 800-pound gorilla still sitting in an anteroom waiting for him.

Leterme’s apparent automatic succession to the job is a mystery to many people. The Christian Democrat (CD&V) prime minister tried to resign once last year when his constitutional project foundered, but the King refused to accept. He resigned for real last December when it was alleged that he had exercised undue influence over judicial proceedings over the sale of Fortis Bank.

In fact, there is an aspect of monarchical succession to the process: CD&V are the leading party in the governing coalition, so they have the right to provide the PM. Leterme is still riding the wave of the 800,000 votes he garnered in June 2007, after a term as minister-president of Flanders. That phenomenal score, together with the fact that no other candidates emerged, saw him returned to the head office.

The question of state reform, including the deeply divisive issue of splitting the electoral district Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde, remains to be addressed, but Leterme won’t be addressing it directly. His party wanted to keep him at arm’s length from the issue; other parties wanted him to be directly involved.

In typical Belgian style, a compromise was reached. CD&V’s Jean-Luc Dehaene, the nation’s most gifted political fixer (and former prime minister), will carry out an investigation of the issues, with the remit to speak to whomever he chooses on whatever subject he chooses. He will report to a committee, including the presidents of the five coalition parties and chaired by Leterme, thus bringing him into the process.

Dehaene’s involvement fuels the fire of criticism aimed at the return of Leterme to the nation’s top post. It shows a failure of his party’s trust, say critics, that he is being returned to office with the main issue of his premiership outsourced to a more imposing figure.

“There are other priorities now,” explained CD&V president Marianne Thyssen. “The economic crisis has had severe consequences. We still have to take care of the effects of that. And from 1 July, 2010, Belgium controls the presidency of the EU. Our country cannot afford to look bad because of an unstable government.”

“Leterme is getting a second chance,” outgoing PM Van Rompuy told RTBF news. “We hope he can succeed, for himself as well as for the country.”

• Leterme’s new team, at least for the time being, is almost exactly the same as the old team. Steven Vanackere, a fellow West Fleming, replaces Leterme as Foreign Minister. Vanackere moves over from the civil service and government affairs ministry, where his place has been taken by Inge Vervotte, who held the position previously but resigned in protest at the treatment of Jo Vandeurzen and Leterme over the Fortis affair. Vandeurzen ended up as health and welfare minister – a job previously held by both Steven Vanackere and Inge Vervotte.