King of Belgium rejects PM Bart De Wever's resignation and demands resumption of budget talks

King rejects prime minister's resignation

King Philippe of Belgium on Friday refused to accept the resignation of Prime Minister Bart De Wever and instructed him to immediately resume budget negotiations. As the Belgian Royal Palacereported, «the King decided to reject the Prime Minister's resignation and asked him to immediately resume budget negotiations. The Prime Minister will report to the King on Monday, November 16».

Cause of the crisis and the parties' positions

De Wever, a Flemish conservative, submitted his resignation on Monday amid the ongoing budget crisis: coalition partners have been unable to agree on the 2027 spending plan. The Palace confirmed receipt of the resignation but said the King had «suspended his decision» and began consultations with party leaders on Tuesday. Following the meetings, as the Palace stated on Friday, all five leaders of the governing parties confirmed their readiness to conclude the budget negotiations as soon as possible and «reaffirmed their determination to reach an agreement on a sound budgetary course for the next three years». The Palace also announced a «formal commitment by the five leaders» to prepare their parties to make concessions for the sake of an agreement within the government.

The essence of the disagreements

De Wever is seeking 10 billion euros by 2029 to close the budget deficit, but the coalition parties disagree on how to find these funds. Among the proposed measures are spending cuts and a VAT increase, which the French-speaking liberal party Reformist Movement (MR) opposes. Thus, the King's decision effectively returns the dispute over specific measures to the government: by November 16, when the prime minister reports to the monarch again, the coalition will have to agree on the content of the three-year budget plan.