Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever submitted his resignation to King Philippe on Monday after negotiations within the governing coalition broke down over the federal budget for 2027. The King has kept his decision pending and will begin consultations with the presidents of the parties supporting the government before receiving De Wever again on Friday.
The Royal Palace said the King regretted the absence of an agreement capable of giving Belgium a credible budget suited to the challenges facing the country. It also warned that Belgium could not afford a prolonged political crisis and called on all parties to place the general interest and compromise ahead of their differences.
The immediate dispute concerns a proposed consolidation effort of €10 billion by 2029, which De Wever says is needed to reduce Belgium’s deficit. The plan would rely mainly on cuts to public spending, including healthcare, while also involving an increase in value-added tax.
The Reform Movement, the French-speaking liberal party in the five-party centre-right coalition, strongly opposes any further tax increases, arguing that they would worsen inflation. The budget talks are also taking place amid months of trade union mobilisation against austerity measures.
De Wever, a Flemish conservative, has led the coalition since February 2025. The same type of impasse led to a resignation offer a year ago, which King Philippe rejected. De Wever has so far also ruled out an emergency budget based on the previous year’s spending, a mechanism known in Belgium as provisional twelfths.
Sources: Le Figaro.