Brussels (Belgium) (AFP) – Budget negotiations are very difficult within the ruling coalition in Belgium. For lack of compromise, Prime Minister Bart De Wever presented his resignation to the King on Monday, who has not made a decision and will receive him again on Friday.

Published on: 02/11/2026 - 12:49

“The King is holding his decision in abeyance and will begin consultations tomorrow with the party presidents of the various partners of the majority. The King deplores the absence of an agreement aimed at providing the country with a credible budget that is up to the current challenges,” underlined the Royal Palace.

Belgium "cannot afford a prolonged political crisis. The King therefore appeals to everyone's sense of responsibility and urges all stakeholders to make the general interest and a sense of compromise prevail. The Prime Minister will be received again by the King this Friday," he added in a press release.

During the night from Sunday to Monday, the coalition parties did not reach an agreement on the Belgian federal budget 2027, in particular the massive budgetary effort of 10 billion euros demanded by the head of government by 2029.

Faced with this persistent disagreement, the Flemish conservative Bart De Wever went to present his resignation at the Royal Palace on Monday morning.

The same type of blockage took place a year ago, with a resignation rejected by King Philippe.

Since February 2025, Bart De Wever has led a coalition of five parties anchored to the center-right.

The head of government is counting on a massive budgetary effort of 10 billion euros by 2029 to reduce the Belgian deficit which exceeds 5% of GDP.

The effort mainly involves a reduction in public spending, particularly in health, but also includes, on the revenue side, an increase in VAT which one of the coalition partners is against.

This party, the Reform Movement (MR, French-speaking liberal), is fiercely opposed to any further increase in taxation, which it believes would further aggravate inflation.

The discussions are being held under pressure from unions, who have been mobilizing against austerity for months.

Until now, Bart De Wever has refused the prospect of an emergency budget which would be modeled on the last annual financial year, the practice known as "provisional twelfths", which is authorized by Belgian law.

© 2026 AFP

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