OMM Newsroom
Belgian King Philippe began consultations with political party leaders on Tuesday after Prime Minister Bart De Wever offered his resignation following the failure of the five-party coalition to agree on next year’s budget, Anadolu Agency reported.
The king deferred a decision on De Wever’s resignation after meeting the prime minister for more than 1.5 hours on Monday. He said he would consult coalition leaders in an effort to resolve the political impasse.
Tensions have been mounting within the governing coalition, with disagreements over budget measures raising concerns about its unity and ability to agree on a financial roadmap.
Yvan Verougstraete, chairman of Les Engages, was the first coalition leader to meet the king on Tuesday, broadcaster VRT reported. He left the palace after just over an hour and said he had presented “constructive ideas” that could help overcome the deadlock.
“We must remain calm and find a solution together. The match is not over yet. We will continue until the end,” Verougstraete told reporters before meeting the king.
CD&V Chairman Sammy Mahdi was the second party leader to meet Philippe. Their discussion lasted about an hour and focused on the stalled budget negotiations.
Mahdi voiced anger at the conduct of some coalition partners, particularly MR and Vooruit, accusing them of failing to show enough urgency in addressing Belgium’s financial challenges.
Warning of the risks of a prolonged deadlock, Mahdi said Belgium could face “Greek conditions” if political leaders failed to reach an agreement. He argued that financial markets could react harshly to uncertainty over the budget, potentially putting the wider social welfare system at risk.
The king’s consultations are aimed at assessing the coalition partners’ positions and exploring whether they can still reach an agreement before he decides on De Wever’s resignation.
The crisis began after the five-party coalition failed to agree on next year’s budget, prompting De Wever to offer his resignation to the king. Further consultations with party leaders are expected as efforts to resolve the deadlock continue.
