BRUSSELS, Nov 2 (Reuters) – Belgium’s King Philippe sought on Monday to defuse a political crisis after overnight budget talks collapsed, prompting Prime Minister Bart De Wever to offer his resignation.
De Wever tendered his resignation during a 90-minute meeting with the king on Monday morning after coalition parties failed to break months of deadlock over next year’s budget.
The Royal Palace said the king would consider De Wever’s offer but would also consult the leaders of the other coalition parties from Tuesday.
“In light of the large geopolitical uncertainty and severe economic challenges, the country can’t afford a long political crisis,” the palace said.
The government has been arguing for months about €10 billion ($11.2 billion) in budget cuts and tax increases De Wever says are needed to stabilise Belgium’s public finances.
In months of talks, De Wever’s Flemish nationalist N-VA and the liberal MR have not been able to compromise with their socialist and centrist coalition partners.
The N-VA and MR have pushed for deeper spending cuts, including to healthcare, while their partners demand higher wealth taxes to raise additional revenue.
Deputy Prime Minister Maxime Prevot, from the francophone centrist party Les Engagés, renewed that call on Monday, shortly after De Wever’s meeting with the king.
“A contribution from those with substantial financial means is legitimate,” he said in a post on X.
“This sharing of the burden between the wealthiest and other citizens is a matter of balance for the future.”
In an interview with broadcaster VRT, Prevot said there was a “50/50” chance of new elections, as he called on coalition parties to return to the negotiating table.
Opposition parties, trade unions and business associations were also unified in their call on the government parties to resume talks and avert a budget crisis.