Belgian prime minister offers resignation amid budget deadlock

Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever submitted his resignation to King Philippe on Monday after his five-party coalition failed to agree on the 2027 budget, but the monarch deferred a decision and announced consultations with coalition leaders.

"The King is holding his decision in suspense and will begin consultations with the presidents of the majority parties tomorrow," the Royal Palace said in a statement posted on US social media platform X.

De Wever met the monarch at the Royal Palace in Brussels for more than 90 minutes amid tensions over efforts to address a €10 billion ($11 billion) budget shortfall, according to public broadcaster VRT.

Negotiations have been deadlocked for weeks, with disagreements reportedly centered on the Flemish socialist Vooruit party and the Francophone center-right Reformist Movement (MR).

De Wever had ruled out entering the new year with a provisional budget, which would allow the government to continue operating under the previous year's spending framework.

Under Belgium's constitutional system, the king can decline to accept a prime minister's resignation or keep it under consideration to give coalition partners more time to reach an agreement.

Alternatively, he could accept it, leaving the government in a caretaker capacity with limited powers until a new political arrangement is reached.

The latest standoff follows a similar crisis in late 2025, when the federal government sought to identify around €10 billion in savings.

At the time, De Wever 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.