Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever submitted his resignation to King Philippe on Monday after his five-party coalition failed to agree on the 2027 budget, but the monarch deferred a decision and announced consultations with 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 met the monarch at the Royal Palace in Brussels for more than 90 minutes amid tensions over efforts to address a €10 billion ($11 billion) budget shortfall, according to public broadcaster VRT.
– Negotiations have been deadlocked for weeks, with disagreements reportedly centered on the Flemish socialist Vooruit party and the Francophone center-right Reformist Movement (MR).
– De Wever had ruled out entering the new year with a provisional budget, which would allow the government to continue operating under the previous year’s spending framework.
– Under Belgium’s constitutional system, the king can decline to accept a prime minister’s resignation or keep it under consideration to give coalition partners more time to reach an agreement.
– Alternatively, he could accept it, leaving the government in a caretaker capacity with limited powers until a new political arrangement is reached.
– The latest standoff follows a similar crisis in late 2025, when the federal government sought to identify around €10 billion in savings.
– At the time, De Wever requested a 50-day extension from the king rather than offering to resign.
– The coalition eventually reached an agreement on Nov. 24, securing €9.2 billion in savings.