The key facts

  • Prime Minister Bart De Wever offered the government's resignation on Monday after coalition talks on budget measures failed
  • King Philippe held bilateral consultations with all governing party leaders, concluding them with a meeting with N-VA chairwoman Valerie Van Peel
  • The King will decide the fate of the resignation after a new meeting with De Wever, expected on Friday

Consultations at the Royal Palace have concluded

On Thursday, King Philippe of Belgium received at the Royal Palace the leader of the New Flemish Alliance (N-VA), Valerie Van Peel — the last of the governing party leaders as part of consultations that began after the government's resignation was proposed. According to the Turkish Anadolu Agency citing the public broadcaster VRT, Van Peel made no comments upon arriving at or leaving the palace.

The cause of the crisis and what comes next

The crisis began on Monday, when Prime Minister Bart De Wever, also a member of the N-VA, offered the King the government's resignation after coalition partners failed to agree on budget measures. Since then, the monarch has held bilateral consultations with the leaders of all governing parties before deciding whether to accept or reject the resignation. According to Anadolu, on Friday the King will receive De Wever for a follow-up meeting — it is after this meeting that the government's further fate will be determined.