De Wever poised to offer his resignation as Belgian budget talks fail – POLITICO

BRUSSELS— Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever is meeting King Philippe on Monday to offer his resignation as his coalition teeters on the brink of collapse over attempts to plug a €10 billion budget gap.

In an 11th-hour attempt to reach a deal for next year’s budget, top officials from De Wever’s five-party government gathered over the weekend, but left without an agreement early Monday morning. Tuesday was widely seen as the unofficial deadline to strike a deal, as the budget still has to pass through parliament before the end of the year.

As part of the talks, De Wever wanted to show financial markets that Belgium is on track to meet its European obligations. Belgium had a deficit of 5.2 % of GDP in 2025, which is expected to rise further next year.