Belgian King Philippe rejects prime minister’s resignation, gives ten more days for budget talks, Digi Mart USA News (Belgium): Belgian King Philippe has rejected the resignation request submitted by Prime Minister Bart De Wever (N-VA), ordering him to keep negotiating and giving his governing coalition ten more days to reach agreement on next year’s budget.
De Wever submitted his resignation on Monday after concluding that his coalition could not reach agreement on the 2027 budget. Earlier in September, he had set a goal of cutting the national deficit by ten billion euros, but by early November it had become clear that the target was not achievable.
At a meeting on Friday, the king declined to accept the resignation, according to Brussels Times as reported by the Danish outlet B.T. Following talks with the leaders of the coalition’s five parties, the Belgian royal household said the king had decided to reject the prime minister’s departure and asked him to resume budget negotiations.
Negotiations have stalled after the parties Vooruit, CD&V and Les Engagés reportedly asked for higher taxes on the wealthiest citizens, a proposal that the MR and N-VA parties strongly oppose.
Belgium’s budget deficit stands at 5.2 percent of gross domestic product, the highest in the eurozone. Forming a government in Belgium has historically been a lengthy process: after the June 9, 2024 parliamentary election, it took eight months of negotiations before De Wever took office on February 3, 2025.
