Belgium’s state budget for 2027 will not be presented on October 13 as previously planned because of disagreements within the governing coalition. Prime Minister Bart De Wever has warned about the seriousness of the situation, his office said.
“The prime minister notes that the government has not yet reached an agreement on the new budget,” the statement said. As a result, De Wever’s annual address on the state of the country, which sets out the main directions of budget policy, will not be delivered on Tuesday. The prime minister will continue negotiations within the government over the coming days.
De Wever, who has led a five-party centre-right coalition since February 2025, is planning budget savings of 10 billion euros by 2029. The aim is to reduce Belgium’s budget deficit, which exceeds 5 percent of gross domestic product.
Most of the planned measures involve cuts to public spending, including healthcare. The plans also include an increase in value-added tax, but one of the coalition partners has categorically opposed the measure.
The French-speaking centrist Reform Movement is firmly against any further tax increases. It argues that such a step would intensify inflation.
The talks are also taking place under pressure from trade unions, which have been protesting the austerity measures for months. Three days after demonstrations in Brussels that drew 30,000 people, civil servants were called to strike by the General Federation of Public Services, or CGSP, which is part of the General Federation of Labour, FGTB.
De Wever has not set a new deadline for reaching a compromise. He has also rejected the possibility of adopting a temporary budget based on the parameters of the previous annual budget, a practice permitted under Belgian law.
“Given the seriousness of the budget situation and developments in the financial markets, the option of temporary monthly appropriations is not acceptable. The prime minister will not allow it,” his office said. In the short term, the government must send a clear signal that Belgium will continue to put its public finances on a convincing and sustainable footing.
Source: bta.bg/bg
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3650 | 12 Oct. 2026 | 15:40
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