Belgian PM’s Resignation Hangs in Balance After 90-Min Talks
(MENAFN) Belgium’s government was thrown into turmoil on Monday when Prime Minister Bart De Wever tendered his resignation to King Philippe after his five-party coalition could not agree on a 2027 budget. The monarch did not accept it and instead put off a ruling, opting to first consult coalition leaders.
“The King is holding his decision in suspense and will begin consultations with the presidents of the majority parties tomorrow,” the Royal Palace said in a statement posted on US social media platform X.
De Wever sat down with the king at the Royal Palace in Brussels for over 90 minutes, as tensions mounted over how to close a €10 billion ($11 billion) budget gap, a public broadcaster reported.
Talks have been stuck for weeks. Reported flashpoints include the Flemish socialist Vooruit party and the Francophone center-right Reformist Movement (MR).
De Wever had previously refused to begin the new year under a provisional budget, an arrangement that lets the government keep running on the prior year’s spending framework.
Under Belgium’s constitutional system, the king has options. He can reject a prime minister’s resignation, or hold it in reserve to give coalition partners more time to strike a deal. He could also accept it, which would leave the government in a caretaker role with limited powers until a new political arrangement emerges.
The standoff echoes a crisis in late 2025, when the federal government set out to find roughly €10 billion in savings. De Wever then asked the king for a 50-day extension rather than offering to quit. The coalition ultimately struck a deal on Nov. 24, locking in €9.2 billion in savings.
“The King is holding his decision in suspense and will begin consultations with the presidents of the majority parties tomorrow,” the Royal Palace said in a statement posted on US social media platform X.
De Wever sat down with the king at the Royal Palace in Brussels for over 90 minutes, as tensions mounted over how to close a €10 billion ($11 billion) budget gap, a public broadcaster reported.
Talks have been stuck for weeks. Reported flashpoints include the Flemish socialist Vooruit party and the Francophone center-right Reformist Movement (MR).
De Wever had previously refused to begin the new year under a provisional budget, an arrangement that lets the government keep running on the prior year’s spending framework.
Under Belgium’s constitutional system, the king has options. He can reject a prime minister’s resignation, or hold it in reserve to give coalition partners more time to strike a deal. He could also accept it, which would leave the government in a caretaker role with limited powers until a new political arrangement emerges.
The standoff echoes a crisis in late 2025, when the federal government set out to find roughly €10 billion in savings. De Wever then asked the king for a 50-day extension rather than offering to quit. The coalition ultimately struck a deal on Nov. 24, locking in €9.2 billion in savings.
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