King Philippe has asked Prime Minister Bart De Wever’s coalition to resume
budget negotiations to repair strained public finances after De Wever offered
his resignation; the king delayed accepting the resignation and will reconvene
coalition leaders on Nov. 16. The five‑party coalition remains deadlocked on the
budget as the dispute intensifies amid a worsening fiscal outlook: following two
downgrades last year Belgium has suffered two more this year, and the central
bank forecasts a 2025 deficit of 5.2% of GDP—the euro‑area’s highest—rising to
5.7% by 2028.
