Anders Party Proposes €16.7 Billion Austerity Plan for Belgium
Belgium’s opposition party Anders (formerly Open VLD) has unveiled a sweeping austerity plan worth €16.7 billion aimed at reducing the federal budget deficit to 2.63% of GDP, far exceeding the government’s own savings target of €5-7 billion. The proposal, announced on June 6, targets deep cuts to healthcare spending, civil service replacement rates, and involves regional governments in national debt management, as reported by La Libre Belgique.
Context: A Fiscal Crisis Deepens
The plan comes amid mounting pressure on Belgium’s public finances. In April 2026, Moody’s downgraded the country’s sovereign credit rating from Aa3 to A1, citing insufficient measures to counter rising interest costs, defense spending, aging demographics, and declining revenues, according to The Brussels Times. Belgium’s public debt stands at approximately 106.4% of GDP, projected to rise to 117.6% by 2028 under unchanged policies.
The federal government — the Arizona coalition led by Prime Minister Bart De Wever (N-VA) — is currently awaiting updated figures from the Monitoring Committee to determine the exact savings needed to meet EU commitments under the revised Stability and Growth Pact. The European Commission has projected Belgium’s public deficit at 5.5% of GDP in 2026 under unchanged policies.
The Anders Proposal: Key Measures
Healthcare is the primary target of Anders’ plan. The party proposes eliminating the annual healthcare spending growth norm (set above inflation), which would save €4.5 billion annually by 2029. The healthcare budget would still rise to €47.2 billion. Additionally, Anders recommends raising the patient co-payment for doctor visits to €10 (or €5 for those with increased financial assistance), generating €2.6-2.8 billion in savings. The party argues these fees have remained unchanged for over a decade, making doctor visits “excessively cheap,” as The Brussels Times reported.
On civil service reform, Anders proposes replacing only one in two (or one in three, per some sources) retiring civil servants, excluding police and military personnel, saving an estimated €1 billion by 2029. The plan also calls for ending the payment of unemployment benefits through trade unions and implementing drastic cuts to the administrative costs of mutual health insurance funds.
A particularly striking element of the proposal involves Belgium’s complex federal structure. Anders wants regional governments — Flanders, Wallonia, and Brussels-Capital — to shoulder one-quarter of the national debt burden, either through interest payments or direct debt allocation. The party also points to €3.8 billion in missed savings from previously agreed policies that the government has failed to implement, though it opposes the VAT reform included in that package. Additional measures include rationalizing justice and police buildings to save €300 million annually.
Political Positioning and Viability
Anders, which changed its name from Open VLD in January 2026 following a historic electoral defeat in June 2024, currently holds only 7 of 90 Dutch-speaking seats in the Chamber of Representatives. The party, led by Frédéric De Gucht since October 2025, is using this bold proposal to regain political relevance and differentiate itself from both the government and other opposition parties.
As an opposition proposal from a party with minimal parliamentary representation, the plan has no realistic chance of being adopted wholesale. However, it could influence the government’s own budget negotiations, which have already proven contentious. The Arizona coalition — comprising N-VA, MR, Les Engagés, CD&V, and Vooruit — reached a budget deal in November 2025 after months of tense negotiations, as reported by Politico EU, but has since struggled with internal disagreements.
Implications and Outlook
The proposal signals a fundamental debate about the sustainability of Belgium’s social security system, with healthcare at the center. The focus on eliminating the growth norm would fundamentally alter how healthcare is financed, while the regional debt-sharing proposal could reignite tensions between Flanders, Wallonia, and Brussels over fiscal responsibility.
The proposed cuts to healthcare and civil service would likely face strong opposition from trade unions, left-wing parties, and social organizations. Belgium has seen large protests against austerity in recent months, and the government is already grappling with internal divisions over energy-price relief measures.
Prime Minister Bart De Wever, reacting to the Moody’s downgrade in April, said it “highlights the urgent need for additional efforts to restore international confidence in the country’s finances.” Whether Anders’ ambitious plan will push the government toward more aggressive fiscal consolidation — or be dismissed as politically motivated overreach — remains to be seen. The Monitoring Committee’s updated figures, expected soon, will provide the next critical data point in Belgium’s ongoing fiscal reckoning.