Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever submits resignation request — Anadolu Agency

Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever submitted a request for resignation to King Philippe after his five-party coalition failed to agree on the 2027 budget. The monarch postponed a decision and announced consultations with the leaders of the parliamentary majority parties, Anadolu Agency reports.

King’s consultations

A statement by the Royal Palace, published on social media platform X, said that the king had postponed his decision and would begin consultations with the leaders of the majority parties the following day. De Wever spent more than 90 minutes with the king at the Royal Palace in Brussels, Belgian public broadcaster VRT reported.

Budget negotiations reached a deadlock several weeks ago. The government is trying to close a budget deficit of about €10 billion, which amounts to approximately $11 billion.

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Disagreements within the coalition

The disagreements in the coalition reportedly concern the Flemish socialist party Vooruit and the French-speaking centre-right Reformist Movement, known as MR. De Wever had previously rejected the possibility of entering the new year with a provisional budget that would allow the government to operate within the previous year’s spending framework.

Belgium’s constitutional system allows the king not to accept the prime minister’s resignation or to postpone a decision in order to give coalition partners additional time to reach an agreement. If the resignation is accepted, the government may move into an interim status with limited powers until a new political solution is reached.

At the end of 2025, the Belgian government had already experienced a similar budget crisis. At that time, De Wever asked the king for a 50-day extension, and on November 24 the coalition agreed to spending cuts amounting to €9.2 billion.