Magistrates Warn of Institutional Destruction Under Cuts

Six magistrates’ associations in Belgium have jointly warned that budget cuts imposed by Prime Minister Bart De Wever’s government amount to “institutional destruction” of the justice system, arguing that the austerity measures threaten the very foundations of the rule of law. In a strongly worded opinion piece published in De Morgen on May 26, the associations accused the government of pursuing “demolition works” rather than genuine reform.

Context: A System Under Strain

The warning comes after more than a year of escalating tensions between the judiciary and the federal government. The De Wever coalition — comprising N-VA, Vooruit, MR, and CD&V — took office in February 2025 with a mandate to consolidate Belgium’s public finances, targeting €9.2 billion in savings. The justice sector has been among the hardest hit.

According to the magistrates’ joint opinion piece, the government decided to increase employer social contributions for statutory magistrates from 5.25% to 43.25% — and simultaneously charge this sudden massive cost to the operating budget of the Justice Department. “That is not a reform, but a flat saving that will inevitably result in the judiciary being able to recruit even fewer magistrates and staff,” they wrote.

The magistrates point to two specific government decisions that triggered their latest protest. First, the dramatic increase in employer social contributions for new statutory civil servants — rising from roughly 5% to 43% over the coming years — makes hiring magistrates prohibitively expensive without additional funding. Second, the government is planning to reform magistrates’ sick leave without prior consultation with the judiciary or any serious institutional debate.

“Savings without a long-term vision, without a structural future project and without serious consultation, in a context where justice already suffers from chronic shortages, are not reforms. Those are demolition works,” the six associations declared.

A History of Protest

The May 26 opinion piece is the latest chapter in a sustained protest movement. On June 27, 2025, a thousand magistrates and staff gathered in the Brussels Palace of Justice to issue a solemn declaration expressing deep concern. On November 14, 2025, they held a national mobilization at the Poelaertplein under the title “Justice Suffocated” (Justitie verstikt).

Justice Minister Annelies Verlinden (CD&V) has attempted to address some grievances. In July 2025, she presented a “hefboomplan” (leverage plan) with investments in buildings, staff safety, and job attractiveness measures including meal vouchers, telework compensation, and bilingualism premiums. Magistrates were cautiously positive but noted the plan did not address the pension issue and that the fundamental question of a long-term vision remained unanswered.

Broader Concerns: Decay and Disinvestment

The magistrates’ concerns extend far beyond salary and pension issues. In their opinion piece, they describe courthouses with crumbling ceilings and pest infestations, hardware and software that would have been replaced years ago in private companies, chronic shortages of magistrates and staff, and prisons where inmates sleep on the floor in conditions “unworthy of a rule of law.”

“A rule of law rarely falls apart spectacularly. It dies slowly from exhaustion. Through disinvestment. Through institutional carelessness,” they wrote.

They also warned that the deteriorating conditions are making the judiciary increasingly unattractive to talented jurists. “Which excellent young jurist will still choose the judiciary tomorrow? Which expert jurist with years of experience will still want to make the switch from the bar or the private sector to the judiciary?” they asked.

The Constitutional Dimension

The associations frame the conflict as a constitutional issue about the relationship between the three branches of power. They cite the European Court of Justice, which has explicitly ruled that remuneration corresponding to the importance of the judicial function is a guarantee inherent to judicial independence.

“The magistracy does not ask for privileges. It asks for respect for the rule of law. Respect for institutional independence. Respect for those seeking justice. Respect for the people who daily try to keep this system upright,” they wrote.

What’s Next

With the De Wever government preparing to seek another multi-billion-euro budget agreement in the coming weeks, the prospects for additional justice funding appear slim. Justice Minister Verlinden, who had previously requested €1 billion in extra funding — receiving only a portion through creative budget maneuvers — is unlikely to secure further significant allocations.

The magistrates have signaled they will continue their protest actions. The central question remains whether the government will engage in meaningful dialogue with the judiciary or continue to impose reforms without consultation — and whether Belgium’s justice system can sustain further austerity without lasting damage to its independence and functioning.