The deadlock in negotiations regarding the 2027 budget in Belgium has plunged the federal government into a crisis. Prime Minister Bart De Wever submitted his government's resignation to King Philippe after failing to reach a consensus among coalition partners.
It was stated that De Wever went to the Royal Palace at 09:30 local time to deliver his official letter of resignation and left the palace after a short meeting. However, it was reported that King Philippe chose to put the resignation on hold rather than accept it.
The King had the options of accepting the resignation, rejecting it, or putting it on hold to allow the parties time for a new negotiation process. If the resignation were accepted, the country would have been required to enter an election process within 40 days.
It was reported that King Philippe will invite the leaders of the country's major political parties to a meeting on the morning of November 3 and will hold talks to overcome the crisis.
The crisis in the coalition, referred to as "Arizona," stemmed from the inability to find a common path on how to close a 10 billion euro deficit in the federal budget. The negotiation meeting, known as the "kern," which lasted until late at night, also failed to produce a result.
It was stated that there were deep disagreements among the coalition partners regarding tax increases, spending, and additional taxes on large fortunes. It was noted that the Francophone Liberal Party (MR) found the tax increases on the table unacceptable and demanded structural austerity measures.
It was recorded that the Flemish Socialist Party (Vooruit) and the former Francophone Christian Democratic party Les Engagés argued that large fortunes should contribute more. While the opposition party Ecolo described the coalition as "dogmatic and deadlocked," the far-left PTB stated that they remain insistent on their proposal for a tax on millionaires.
News Source: 12punto
