Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever presented his resignation to King Philippe on Monday, November 2, after negotiations within the governing coalition broke down over the federal budget for 2027. The king has not yet accepted or rejected the resignation and is due to meet the prime minister again on Friday.
The Royal Palace said the king would begin consultations with the presidents of the parties supporting the majority government. It cited the lack of an agreement capable of giving Belgium a credible budget and said the consultations were intended to prevent a prolonged political crisis.
The coalition failed to reach a deal during the night from Sunday to Monday, notably over the scale of the fiscal effort sought by De Wever. The prime minister is calling for €10 billion in measures by 2029 to reduce Belgium’s deficit, which exceeds 5% of gross domestic product.
The proposed measures would focus mainly on reducing public spending, including in healthcare, while also raising revenue through an increase in value-added tax. The proposal has met strong opposition from the francophone liberal Reform Movement, or MR, which rejects further tax increases on the grounds that they could worsen inflation.
The talks are also taking place amid months of trade-union mobilization against austerity. De Wever has so far rejected an emergency budget based on the previous year’s spending, a mechanism known in Belgium as provisional twelfths.
De Wever, a Flemish conservative, has led a five-party centre-right coalition since February 2025. A similar impasse occurred a year ago, when King Philippe did not accept a resignation. The Royal Palace called on all political parties to put the general interest and compromise first.
Sources: Le Monde International.