Belgian king rejects resignation of Prime Minister Bart De Wever

King Philippe of Belgium has rejected the resignation of Prime Minister Bart De Wever and ordered him to resume negotiations on the 2027 national budget, Euronews, Politico, Informat.ro, and Anadolu Ajansı reported. De Wever offered his resignation on Monday, 3 November 2026, following a failure by coalition partners to reach an agreement on spending plans. [1][2][4][5]

The Royal Palace announced in a official statement that King Philippe requested De Wever restart budget negotiations immediately. The prime minister is scheduled to deliver a progress report to the king on Monday, 16 November 2026, according to Euronews. De Wever confirmed earlier that an emergency budget was required for 2027 following the collapse of talks, The Brussels Times reported. [1][3]

De Wever is a Flemish conservative politician who has served as Prime Minister of Belgium since February 2025. He previously led the New Flemish Alliance party from 2004 to 2025 and served as Mayor of Antwerp from January 2013 until taking office as prime minister. [1][8]

The current budget dispute risks further political volatility in Belgium. Coalition government negotiations in the country have historically faced deep political fragmentation, including an 11-party parliament after elections in June 2010 that led to 353 days of coalition negotiations. [1][9]