Belgian PM Bart De Wever resigns over budget dispute
Photo: Bart De Wever (Getty Images)
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever has announced his resignation after the government coalition failed to reach an agreement on the national budget, according to a statement from the press service of the Belgian Royal Palace.
On Monday, November 2, King Philippe of Belgium received the prime minister in an audience, during which De Wever formally informed him of his decision to resign following the failure of budget negotiations.
The monarch has postponed accepting the resignation for now and initiated urgent consultations with leaders of the coalition majority parties. The palace expressed regret over the situation and stressed that prolonged crises were unacceptable.
"Amid significant geopolitical uncertainty and serious economic challenges, the country cannot afford a prolonged political crisis," the palace press service said in a statement.
The king called on all parties involved to "put the common interest first and demonstrate a willingness to compromise."
Philippe will receive the prime minister again on Friday, November 6.
De Wever recently said that the European Commission was not planning to propose new mechanisms for using frozen Russian assets to finance Ukraine's needs.
Last year, when the possibility of confiscating the aggressor country's assets was being discussed, De Wever said that Belgium did not believe Russia would lose the war against Ukraine.
According to him, the funds would have to be returned to the Kremlin after the war ends. In addition, the Belgian prime minister claimed that Russia had openly threatened Belgium with "eternal retribution" if its assets were confiscated.
