Published on •Updated
The king of Belgium refused Prime Minister Bart De Wever’s resignation on Friday, asking him to resume budget talks.
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“The king decided to reject the prime minister’s resignation and asked him to resume the budget negotiations immediately. The Prime Minister will report back to the king on Monday 16 November,” a statement from the Belgian Royal Palace said.
De Wever, a Flemish conservative, handed in his resignation on Monday amid a continuing budget crisis that has seen coalition partners fail to agree on a 2027 spending plan.
The Royal Palace confirmed the prime minister’s move but said King Philippe had “put his decision on hold” and that he would begin talks with party leaders on Tuesday.
“Following his discussions with the leaders of the five majority parties, the King noted each of their commitment to concluding the budget negotiations as soon as possible,” the Palace announced in an update on Friday. “All reaffirmed their determination to reach an agreement on a sound budgetary path for the next three years.”
It said the king had also received a “formal commitment from the five leaders that their parties are prepared to make concessions in order to reach an agreement within the government.”
De Wever is seeking €10 billion by 2029 to plug a deficit gap, but coalition parties are at odds over how to find the funds.
Measures put forward have included spending cuts and a VAT increase that is opposed by the francophone liberal Reformist Movement (MR).
Additional sources • AFP
