Caretaker Government

Explanation

A caretaker government holds power temporarily — typically after an election while a new coalition is being negotiated, or after a government falls and before a new one is confirmed. By convention, caretaker governments avoid making significant new commitments or controversial decisions, restricting themselves to routine administration. Belgium holds the record for the longest caretaker government in a democratic system — 541 days in 2010–11 while parties negotiated a coalition. Caretaker periods also occur when elections are called and the sitting government remains in office until after the vote. The precise rules vary by country but the core principle is that governments lacking fresh electoral or parliamentary mandate should not make irreversible decisions.