OMM Newsroom
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever submitted his resignation to King Philippe on Monday after his five-party coalition failed to reach agreement on the 2027 budget, Anadolu Agency reported.
The king has put off a decision and will consult the leaders of the majority parties, the Royal Palace said in a statement posted on “X”.
De Wever met the monarch at the Royal Palace in Brussels for more than 90 minutes, as the coalition faced tensions over efforts to address a budget shortfall of €10 billion ($11 billion), public broadcaster VRT reported.
Coalition talks stalled over budget
Negotiations have been deadlocked for weeks, with disagreements reportedly focused on the Flemish socialist Vooruit party and the Francophone centre-right Reformist Movement (MR).
De Wever had ruled out entering the new year with a provisional budget, which would allow the government to operate under the previous year’s spending framework.
King can defer or accept resignation
Under Belgium’s constitutional system, the king can refuse to accept a prime minister’s resignation or keep it under consideration to give coalition partners more time to reach an agreement.
He could also accept the resignation, leaving the government to serve in a caretaker capacity with limited powers until a new political arrangement is reached.
The latest impasse follows a similar crisis in late 2025, when the federal government sought to identify around €10 billion in savings. De Wever then requested a 50-day extension from the king rather than offering to resign.
The coalition eventually reached an agreement on Nov. 24, securing €9.2 billion in savings.
