Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever resigns amid budget crisis

Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever handed in his resignation on Monday as a long-simmering budget crisis intensified, according to reports from AP News and Reuters. De Wever, a conservative Flemish nationalist who took office in February 2025, failed to secure support from the other members of his five-party government for his budget proposals.

Negotiations and the Royal Palace

Belgium’s Royal Palace confirmed that De Wever resigned "following the failure of budget negotiations within his government." Following a meeting of approximately one hour between the two men, the Palace issued a statement saying, "The King regrets the lack of an agreement that would provide the country with a credible budget capable of addressing the challenges it currently faces."

King Philippe is currently "withholding his decision" on whether to accept the resignation. The King intends to consult with party group leaders starting Tuesday and is scheduled to receive De Wever at the palace again on Friday. If the King accepts the resignation, he may ask other parties to form a coalition or call for fresh elections.

The Coalition and Budget Deadlock

The governing coalition, referred to as the "Arizona coalition," consists of the N-VA, the Flemish socialists of Vooruit, the Flemish Christian Democrats (CD&V), the French-speaking liberal Reformist Movement (MR), and the centrist Les Engagés. The group has spent months attempting to agree on approximately €10 billion ($11.2 billion) in savings to meet EU deficit rules.

Disagreements have centered on how to achieve these savings:

• Vooruit: Desired the wealthiest Belgians to contribute about €1.5 billion.
• MR and N-VA: Resisted new taxes and pushed for deeper spending cuts, including to healthcare.
• Les Engagés: Stated that €1 billion from the "strongest shoulders" was its minimum requirement. Deputy Prime Minister Maxime Prevot of Les Engagés stated in a post on X, "A contribution from those with substantial financial means is legitimate," adding that sharing the burden is "a matter of balance for the future."

Economic Context and Debt

Belgium is one of the most heavily indebted countries in the 27-nation European Union, alongside France and Italy. The European Commission has forecast that Belgium’s debt will rise to 110% of its gross domestic product this year. According to the National Bank of Belgium, the deficit reached 5.2% of GDP in 2025, while debt stood at approximately 108%, which is far above the EU’s 60% ceiling.

De Wever has warned of an "interest snowball," arguing that without budget cuts, Belgium risks borrowing money simply to cover the costs of servicing existing debt. On Monday afternoon, Belgium's 10-year benchmark bonds were trading at a yield of 4.39%, compared to 4.90% for France and 3.29% for Germany.

Potential Consequences

If a deal is not reached, Belgium may be forced to rely on "provisional twelfths," a system that would cap monthly spending at one-twelfth of the previous year's budget. De Wever has ruled out this outcome. The political crisis occurs alongside growing student protests and frequent strikes, including "national action days" led by unions.

---

Sources

• apnews.com: Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever resigns amid budget crisis | AP News
• abcnews.com: Belgian PM quits after budget talks fail as king mulls whether to accept resignation - ABC News
• brusselssignal.eu: Belgian Government faces collapse - Brussels Signal
• malaysia.news.yahoo.com: Belgian government in crisis after budget talks collapse - Yahoo News Malaysia
• aol.com: Belgian government in crisis after budget talks collapse - AOL
• bozemandailychronicle.com: Belgian prime minister quits after budget talks fail as king mulls whether to accept his resignation

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.