De Wever Rebuked in Parliament Over Senate Abolition

Prime Minister Bart De Wever was publicly rebuked by the Speaker of the Chamber of Representatives on Tuesday after displaying visible exasperation during a heated parliamentary debate on the abolition of the Belgian Senate. The Speaker warned that the Prime Minister’s behavior was “at the limit of what can be considered respect for Parliament,” according to La Libre Belgique.

Context: A Flagship Reform Under Pressure

The incident occurred during a debate on the revision of Article 195 of the Constitution, the first of eight required steps to abolish the upper house of the Belgian Federal Parliament. The Senate abolition is a flagship reform of the Arizona coalition government—a five-party alliance comprising N-VA, MR, Les Engagés, Vooruit, and CD&V—that took office in February 2025 under De Wever’s leadership.

The Arizona coalition does not hold the two-thirds majority required for constitutional reform and must therefore secure support from opposition parties. The Socialist Party (PS) has offered to back the abolition in exchange for enshrining abortion rights up to 18 weeks in the Constitution—a demand that places the coalition’s Christian democratic CD&V in a difficult position.

The Exchange That Sparked the Rebuke

As opposition MPs criticized the government’s handling of the reform, De Wever grew increasingly agitated. When PS MP Khalil Aouasti left the door open for supporting the abolition on condition of constitutional protection for abortion rights, De Wever reacted forcefully, dismissing the proposal with the words: “Jamais de la vie!” (Never in life!).

De Wever went on to argue that the Senate was a superfluous institution, stating: “Do you know how many conflicts of interest have been resolved by the Senate? Zero.” He added: “The Senate is a superfluous institution and we all know it. Basta la comedia!” (Enough of the comedy!), as reported by HLN.

The Speaker of the Chamber then intervened, warning De Wever that his conduct was “at the limit of what can be considered respect for Parliament.”

A Pattern of Parliamentary Tensions

This is not the first time De Wever’s combative style has drawn criticism in the Chamber. In February 2026, he was heard calling a PS deputy “imbécile” during a separate debate. The Prime Minister, known for his sharp tongue and blunt assessments of Belgium’s political institutions, has long been a polarizing figure in Belgian politics.

The rebuke by the Speaker—notably the first time a sitting Prime Minister has been publicly admonished in such terms in recent memory—underscores the high stakes of the Senate abolition debate. The reform is a centerpiece of the Arizona coalition’s institutional agenda, and De Wever’s visible frustration reflects the pressure of navigating a complex multi-party coalition through sensitive constitutional changes.

The Senate Abolition Process

The Belgian Senate, established in 1831, has seen its powers progressively reduced over successive state reforms. Today, it has 60 senators and focuses primarily on constitutional matters and mediating conflicts between parliaments. The abolition process requires eight total votes across both chambers, a two-thirds majority in each, and implementation by the next federal elections in 2029.

Constitutional scholars have criticized the process as procedurally questionable, while the economic argument—saving approximately €8 million annually from a €42 million budget—is relatively modest. The reform also raises questions about the representation of Belgium’s federated entities and the German-speaking Community at the federal level.

Political Implications

The incident highlights the delicate balancing act facing the Arizona coalition. The PS’s strategy of linking unrelated issues to extract concessions is a classic maneuver in Belgian politics, but De Wever’s forceful rejection suggests he is unwilling to trade on sensitive bio-ethical issues that could fracture his coalition.

The debate was ultimately suspended after De Wever had to leave for a meeting with the Prime Minister of Albania, and the vote on Article 195 was postponed to a later date. The delay leaves the government’s reform timeline uncertain and gives opposition parties additional leverage.

What to Watch For

All eyes will be on whether the Arizona coalition can secure the necessary two-thirds majority for Senate abolition without making concessions that alienate its own members. The PS may yet find alternative paths to compromise, while De Wever could seek support from other opposition parties such as Ecolo-Groen. The coming weeks will be critical in determining whether Belgium’s most ambitious institutional reform in decades can survive the political pressures it has unleashed.