Belgian Prime Minister Resigns Government After Budget Negotiations Fail

Brussels -- Belgian media announced on Monday that Prime Minister Bart De Wever submitted the resignation of his government to King Philippe following the collapse of overnight negotiations among coalition partners to reach an agreement on next year’s budget. The Belgian public broadcaster VRT reported that De Wever met with King Philippe on Monday morning after talks among the five parties forming the coalition ended without a deal. The disputes center on how to raise approximately 10 billion euros ($11.2 billion) to address the budget deficit and meet European financial commitments, with the Flemish Socialists calling for higher taxes on high-income earners, while the French-speaking, center-right Reform Movement rejected this approach and opposed expanding value-added tax reforms. The broadcaster quoted Deputy Prime Minister David Clarinval as saying that the negotiations still included “far too many taxes,” but he did not rule out resuming talks. The crisis coincides with Belgium’s budget deficit and public debt rising to more than 735 billion euros ($825 billion), increasing pressure on the government to comply with European Union fiscal rules. If the king accepts the government’s resignation, it would pave the way for early elections, though he could also reject it or postpone a decision, with expectations that both far-right and left-wing parties would benefit from a new electoral contest. (End) AN / NBS