Belgium’s Summer Agreement: Major Reforms Unveiled by De Wever Government
The Belgian federal government under Prime Minister Bart De Wever has approved a sweeping package of approximately 70 measures known as the “Summer Agreement” (Zomerakkoord), introducing significant reforms to working time, civil service sick leave, aviation taxation, and public order legislation. The agreement, reached on 18 July during the final Council of Ministers before the summer parliamentary break, was officially announced on 20 July 2026.
Context
The five-party “Arizona” coalition — comprising N-VA, MR, Les Engagés, Vooruit, and CD&V — has been under pressure to deliver on its reform agenda while facing a daunting fiscal challenge. Belgium must find €10 billion in additional savings by 2029 to meet European fiscal rules and stabilise its debt-to-GDP ratio, with credit rating agencies S&P, Moody’s, and Fitch having downgraded Belgian debt in 2026. The Summer Agreement is seen as a starting point, with the most difficult budget negotiations deferred to a conclave scheduled for September 2026.
Key Developments
Working Time Reform: “Accordion Hours”
The government approved a preliminary draft law introducing annualisation of working time, a reform that has been debated in Belgium for over 20 years. According to La Libre Belgique, the legal working week remains 38 hours, but hours can now be spread across a 12-month period, allowing workers to work more during peak periods and less during slow periods while salary remains constant. The reform still requires consultation with social partners by September, with final approval expected in autumn. The Federation of Enterprises in Belgium (FEB) welcomed the reform as a “major milestone,” while unions have expressed concerns about potential wage reductions.
Sick Day Overhaul for Civil Servants
In a significant break with tradition, civil servants will lose the ability to accumulate unused sick days from 1 January 2027. As VRT NWS reported, statutory civil servants currently accumulate 21 sick days per year, building up a so-called “sickness capital” that allows full pay during long-term illness. Under the new system, new civil servants will receive full pay for the first 30 days of illness, then 60 percent from day 31. Existing accumulated sick days are protected as acquired rights. Vice-Premier Maxime Prévot (Les Engagés) described the change as ending a “typically Belgian measure.”
Airline Ticket Tax Compromise
The government approved a new airline ticket tax set at €7 for flights between 500 and 3,500 km, effective 1 January 2027 — a reduction from the originally planned €10. As La Libre Belgique reported, the compromise followed intense lobbying from Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary, who threatened to reduce operations in Belgium. Walloon authorities welcomed the decision, citing concerns for Charleroi Airport where 85 percent of flights are operated by Ryanair.
Stricter Football Law and Radical Organisations Legislation
Minister of Interior Bernard Quintin (MR) detailed new measures targeting football hooliganism and radical organisations in an interview with RTBF. Minimum fines for hooliganism will double from €250 to €500, with racist or xenophobic acts carrying a minimum fine of €2,000. Stadium bans for racism increase from 30 months to 3 years, and a national database of stadium bans will be created. Quintin emphasised the goal is to keep football a “family-friendly popular celebration.” A separate preliminary draft law allows the government to temporarily suspend activities of organisations deemed to undermine democratic order, based on intelligence service assessments, targeting Islamist radicalisation and separatist movements.
Analysis
Political analyst Dave Sinardet (VUB & UCL) offered a critical assessment in VRT NWS, warning that the agreement “doesn’t bode well for the search for those €10 billion.” Sinardet noted that the government is “not cutting the knot, it’s pushing it forward,” pointing to the working time reform being deferred to social partners and the airline tax being reduced after corporate lobbying. He cautioned that the fragile trust between coalition parties could lead to a “self-fulfilling prophecy” of campaign mode replacing governance, potentially triggering early elections if the September budget negotiations fail.
What’s Next
The September budget conclave represents the critical test for the coalition’s survival. The government must agree on €10 billion in savings by the second Tuesday of October, when the Prime Minister delivers his policy speech. The working time annualisation reform must clear consultation with social partners, while the radical organisations law faces potential legal challenges following a reserved opinion from the Council of State in January 2026. With credit rating agencies watching closely, Belgium’s fiscal credibility — and the future of the Arizona coalition — hangs in the balance.