Belgian PM De Wever Goes to King to Offer Resignation After Budget Talks Fail

As of 7:42 a.m. ET, Monday, Nov. 2, 2026

Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever went to the royal palace in Brussels on Monday, Nov. 2, to offer his government's resignation to King Philippe after overnight budget talks among his five coalition parties ended without a deal, Belgian media reported.

De Wever arrived at the palace shortly before 9:30 a.m. local time (3:30 a.m. ET), public broadcaster RTBF reported with the Belga news agency. RTBF said he was expected to present his government's resignation. Flemish broadcaster VRT reported that he is tendering his resignation, and the financial daily De Tijd said in its liveblog that he had arrived "to offer his resignation."

An offer is not a fall. The king can accept the resignation, refuse it or hold it under consideration. As of this update, no decision from the palace had been reported.

No deal overnight

The inner cabinet failed to agree on the federal budget overnight, Deputy Prime Minister David Clarinval of the liberal MR said, according to RTBF.

The partners split along left-right lines. Vooruit, CD&V and Les Engagés reportedly wanted higher taxes on the "strongest financial shoulders," which MR and De Wever's Flemish nationalist N-VA strongly oppose, The Brussels Times reported.

Reuters reporter Bart Meijer, citing De Tijd, wrote that N-VA and MR are seeking cuts in healthcare spending while their partners have pushed for higher wealth taxes.

De Wever has been looking for €10 billion in cuts or new revenue, according to The Brussels Times and Reuters. The Brussels Times put Belgium's deficit at 5.2% of GDP, the highest in the eurozone, with debt rising above 110% of GDP this year.

Interest rates on Belgian government bonds have risen, according to Reuters and Euronews.

What the king can do

The king would likely not accept the resignation right away, Reuters reported, citing De Tijd. The Brussels Times noted that Belgian governments have often kept working after a first visit to the king.

"Either the King accepts the resignation, in which case the government will fall, or the King will take time to consider the resignation and give De Wever more time, as he did last year," VRT political journalist Bart Verhulst said. VRT noted that a new majority could in principle be found without new elections.

If the resignation is accepted, new elections might follow, The Brussels Times reported, though a new government could also be formed from the current parliament.

The government faces a Tuesday deadline to present a 2027 budget. Without one, it would have to run on "provisional twelfths," monthly spending capped at one-twelfth of the last approved budget. De Wever has said he wants to avoid that, according to The Brussels Times and VRT.

A year ago, De Wever went to the king during a similar standoff over €10 billion and was given 50 more days, VRT reported. That round ended in a deal on Nov. 24, 2025.