BRUSSELS, Dec 19 (Reuters) - Belgium's government collapsed on Friday after a top court found signs that it had sought to sway a legal ruling on the future of stricken bank Fortis.
'(Belgian Prime Minister Yves) Leterme put the (resignation) proposal to the cabinet and they have agreed to it,' Leterme's spokesman Peter Poulussen said by telephone.
Under the constitution, King Albert must decide whether to accept the resignation. In July, Leterme had tendered his resignation after failing to break a political deadlock among the country's linguistic groups, but the king refused it it.
The Leterme spokesman declined to say when the prime minister would go to the king this time.
Leterme has been under pressure to quit over accusations that his office had sought to influence an appeal court ruling that last week froze the break-up of financial group Fortis.
Earlier, an eagerly-awaited report by Belgium's Supreme Court did not specifically target Leterme but concluded:
'All the above (in the report) of course does not offer ... legal proof of an attempt to interfere with the judiciary, but there are undoubtedly significant indications which point in that direction.'
Leterme has denied influencing the appeal court, although he acknowledged that one of his officials contacted the husband of one of the judges several times.
Fortis was carved up by the Dutch, Belgian and Luxembourg governments with France's BNP Paribas buying the Belgian operations after an 11.2 billion euro ($16.1 billion) cash injection failed to calm investor concerns over its health.
Shareholders launched legal action, and the court victory has thrown the government's bailout plans into disarray.
Leterme came to power in March after nine months of deadlock over the extent that powers should be devolved to Belgium's regions -- a key demand for Dutch-speaking Flemish parties.
The row reignited speculation the 178-year-old country could break up.
(Additional reporting by Anne Jolis and Antonia van de Velde;
writing by Philip Blenkinsop and Mark John; editing by Dale
Hudson and Richard Balmforth) Keywords: BELGIUM LETERME/ (philip.blenkinsop@thomsonreuters.com; +32 2 287 6838; Reuters messaging: philip.blenkinsop.reuters.com@reuters.net) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2008. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
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