The king said no and ordered the government to reach an agreement within 10 days

The Royal Palace announced the monarch's decision after King Philippe's meeting with the prime minister on Friday. It was the second conversation between the two men this week.

Bart De Wever resigned on Monday after budget negotiations failed. It became clear that the government would not meet the deadline for presenting the draft budget to parliament.

According to a palace statement, the leaders of the five coalition parties gave the king a formal assurance that they were ready to make concessions to reach an agreement. They pledged to present compromise solutions and treat the conclusion of the talks as a priority.

Belgium needs to find EUR 10 billion in savings

Belgium needs to find around €10 billion in savings in next year's budget to meet European Union requirements.

According to EU rules, the public finance sector deficit should not exceed 3%. GDP and public debt – 60 percent. GDP. Meanwhile, the European Commission forecast in May that in 2026 Belgium's deficit would amount to 5.2%. GDP, and the debt will reach 110%. GDP.

In 2024, an excessive deficit procedure was launched against Belgium. The country is to eliminate the excessive deficit by 2029, which means the need to limit the growth rate of public spending. EU recommendations show that the nominal increase in net expenditure should not exceed 2.5%. both in 2026 and 2027.

The coalition partners now have until November 16 to develop a common position. As public broadcaster VRT emphasizes, it is not known whether this will be the final date for the negotiations.

The Prime Minister wants to avoid a situation in which Belgium would have to operate based on a provisional budget. This is not the first time De Wever has asked the monarch for more time for budget negotiations. Last year, King Philip extended the talks by 50 days.