Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever has offered his resignation to King Philippe after overnight coalition budget talks collapsed, but the resignation has not yet been accepted.
De Wever tendered his resignation on Monday, 2 November 2026, after meeting the king for about 90 minutes on Monday morning. The Royal Palace said the king is withholding his decision, will consult leaders of the other coalition parties from Tuesday, and will meet De Wever again on Friday.
The government has argued for months over about €10 billion in budget cuts and tax increases that De Wever says are needed to stabilise Belgium’s public finances. The deficit exceeds 5% of GDP and debt is around 110% of GDP.
De Wever, a conservative Flemish nationalist, has led a five-party centre-right coalition since February 2025. If the king ultimately accepts the resignation, he could ask other parties to form a coalition or call fresh elections. For now, De Wever remains prime minister while the king’s decision is pending.
Source: Associated Press and Reuters reports of 2 November 2026. Read the AP report here.
