Published on •Updated
The King of Belgium on Friday refused the resignation of Prime Minister Bart De Wever, asking him to resume budget negotiations.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
“The king has decided to reject the resignation of the Prime Minister and asked him to immediately resume budgetary negotiations. The Prime Minister will report to the King on Monday November 16,” said a press release from the Royal Palace of Belgium.
De Wever, a Flemish conservative, resigned on Monday amid a continuing budget crisis that has seen coalition partners fail to agree on a spending plan for 2027.
The Royal Palace confirmed the prime minister’s decision but said King Philippe had “put his decision on hold” and would begin discussions with party leaders on Tuesday.
“At the end of his discussions with the leaders of the five majority parties, the king took note of each of their commitments to conclude the budgetary negotiations as soon as possible,” the Palace announced in a press release on Friday. “All reaffirmed their determination to reach an agreement on a healthy budgetary trajectory for the next three years.”
The king also received “a formal commitment from the five leaders that their parties are ready to make concessions in order to reach an agreement within the government.”
De Wever is seeking 10 billion euros by 2029 to cover the deficit, but coalition parties are at odds over how to find the funds.
The proposed measures include spending cuts and an increase in VAT which is opposed by the French-speaking Liberal Reformist Movement (MR).
Additional sources • AFP
Gn world
