by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief
BRUSSELS (Worthy News) – Belgium’s King Philippe is trying to save the government of Prime Minister Bart De Wever after a bitter dispute over spending cuts and taxation threatened to bring down the five-party coalition.
The monarch began consultations with leaders of the governing parties on Tuesday following De Wever’s offer to resign on Monday amid the collapse of negotiations over the country’s 2027 federal budget.
However, King Philippe has not accepted the government’s resignation, giving the coalition more time to resolve disagreements over how to tackle Belgium’s mounting debt and budget deficit.
De Wever is expected to return to the royal palace on Friday, November 6, in what could become a decisive moment for the future of his government.
This week’s crisis highlights the challenges of governing Belgium, a founding member of the European Union whose capital, Brussels, also serves as the EU’s main political and administrative center.
BELGIUM’S POLITICAL DIVISIONS
The country of nearly 12 million people has three officially recognized language communities: Dutch-speaking, French-speaking and German-speaking, each with its own government, parliament and publicly funded broadcasting services. Deep political and economic differences between Belgium’s regions have long complicated efforts to form and maintain stable federal governments.
The Royal Palace warned that Belgium could not afford a prolonged political crisis amid growing geopolitical uncertainty and severe economic challenges.
This crisis centers on proposals for approximately 10 billion euros ($11.2 billion) in spending cuts and additional revenue aimed at stabilizing Belgium’s public finances.
De Wever’s Flemish nationalist New Flemish Alliance (N-VA) and the French-speaking liberal Reformist Movement (MR) favor deeper spending reductions, including in healthcare.
However, their coalition partners, the Flemish socialist Vooruit party, the Christian Democratic and Flemish party (CD&V), and the French-speaking centrist Les Engagés, want wealthier Belgians to contribute more through taxation.
COALITION DIVIDED
Despite the deadlock, Les Engagés leader Yvan Verougstraete indicated Tuesday that he wanted to preserve the existing government rather than seek an alternative coalition.
“We have a team and a coach, and it is with this team and this coach that we absolutely must find a solution in the coming days,” he told reporters.
Verougstraete was the first coalition leader to meet King Philippe on Tuesday, followed by CD&V chairman Sammy Mahdi, who warned that continued political paralysis could have serious consequences for Belgium’s finances.
Mahdi suggested Belgium could face conditions resembling Greece’s debt crisis if politicians failed to address the country’s fiscal problems.
Belgium faces one of the highest public debt burdens in the European Union, with the European Commission forecasting in May that government debt would reach approximately 110.5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2026.
MOUNTING BELGIAN DEBT
The Commission also projected a budget deficit of 5.2 percent of GDP, raising concerns about Belgium’s ability to finance public services, defense commitments and interest payments on existing debt.
De Wever has warned that rising borrowing costs could create a debt spiral in which the government increasingly borrows money merely to pay interest on existing obligations.
The political crisis comes amid growing public opposition to the government’s economic reforms.
Tens of thousands of demonstrators marched through Brussels on October 9 to protest spending cuts and pension reforms, while Belgium has also experienced strikes and student protests.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot warned Monday that the possibility of fresh elections was roughly 50–50, although he urged coalition partners to resume negotiations.
EARLY ELECTIONS POSSIBLE
If King Philippe accepts the government’s resignation, Belgium could seek another governing coalition or eventually hold early elections.
Until a new government is formed, the outgoing administration could remain in office in a caretaker capacity.
Without an approved budget, Belgium could also be forced to operate under provisional spending arrangements, generally limiting monthly expenditures to one-twelfth of the previous year’s budget.
For now, the king’s intervention has kept open the possibility of a political compromise, with the coming days likely to determine whether De Wever can continue leading Belgium’s divided coalition.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
