PoliticsEconomy
De Wever Threatens Debt Brake as Budget Deal Stalls
Belgian PM Bart De Wever threatens a debt brake as coalition budget talks stall, aiming for a 3-4 billion euro deal for 2027.
—5 min read
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#Arizona Coalition
45 articles
PoliticsEconomy
Walloon Budget Reignites 'War of the Two Rights' in Belgium
Wallonia's 2027 budget has reignited a 'war of the two rights' between MR's Bouchez and N-VA's De Wever, deepening Belgium's federal deadlock.
—6 min read
PoliticsEconomy
Belgium's Budget Talks Stall as Tuesday Deadline Nears
Belgium's federal government resumes budget talks under a looming Tuesday deadline, as parties clash over taxes and spending and fears of paralysis grow.
—6 min read
PoliticsEurope
Magnette: Save on Defence, Not Workers
PS leader Paul Magnette calls for savings on defence and management companies, saying De Wever's budget policy fails workers and pensioners.
—5 min read
PoliticsEurope
Belgium Budget Talks Stall as De Wever's Framework Fails
Belgium's top ministers ended budget talks without a working framework, leaving 10 billion euros in savings unresolved and a key deadline in doubt.
—5 min read
PoliticsEurope
Vandenbroucke Warns He Cannot Stay in Cost-Cut Government
Belgian Deputy PM Frank Vandenbroucke warns he cannot remain in a coalition that 'stomps on the vulnerable,' as budget talks expose coalition rifts.
—5 min read
PoliticsEurope
Belgium's Federal Budget Talks Stall, Move to Working Groups
Belgium's federal budget talks stalled as parties stayed too divided on VAT and healthcare cuts, pushing negotiations into working groups.
—5 min read
PoliticsEurope
Belgium Budget Talks Stall as Ministers Leave Kern
Belgian federal ministers left a technical kern without a budget deal, as the coalition weighs a 14bn euro menu against a 10bn target.
—4 min read
PoliticsEconomy
Belgium's De Wever Opens 10 Billion Euro Budget Talks
Belgium's Arizona coalition began crunch budget talks, seeking 10 billion euros to tame a 5.2% deficit and avoid an interest snowball.
—6 min read
PoliticsEconomy
De Wever Opens Belgium Budget Talks With Stark Warning
Belgian PM Bart De Wever hands coalition parties a budget starting note, calling talks to find €10 billion in savings an 'extremely difficult exercise.'
—6 min read
PoliticsEconomy
Belgian Cabinet Meets on Budget After Difficult Talks
Belgium's core cabinet met Saturday to seek about EUR 10 billion in budget savings, following a difficult session and a rift over Palestinian students.
—4 min read
National PoliticsEurope
Prevot Urges Belgium Budget Talks Without 'Diktats'
Belgian Deputy PM Maxime Prevot calls for budget conclave talks free of 'exclusives or diktats' as the Arizona coalition seeks 10 billion euros in savings.
—6 min read
Politics
Belgium Budget Minister Warns Against Government Collapse
Belgian Budget Minister Van Peteghem warns government collapse would be irresponsible as the Arizona coalition faces a 10 billion euro budget challenge.
—5 min read
Politics
Belgium Budget Conclave: Government Must Not Fall
Les Engagés' Verougstraete says Belgium's government must not fall as the Arizona coalition faces a critical budget conclave.
—4 min read
PoliticsEconomy
Arizona Coalition Cuts Social Security for Half of Savings
Analysis reveals 46% of Belgium's Arizona coalition budget savings come from social security cuts, while deficit reduction targets remain far off.
—4 min read
Politics
Belgium Strikes Sweeping Deal on Leave, Work, and Security
Belgium's core cabinet reaches agreement on birth leave, flexible work, import ban, and security. Opposition parties call for emergency meetings.
—5 min read
PoliticsSocial Affairs
Belgium Passes Pension Reform Capping Inactivity Periods
Belgium's Chamber adopts pension reform capping inactivity periods, sparking debate over coalition tensions and COVID-era sick worker pensions.
—4 min read
SocietyEconomy
Belgium Unemployment Reform: 40.8% Turn to Social Welfare
New data shows 40.8% of Belgians excluded from unemployment benefits turn to CPAS welfare centers, exceeding government projections.
—5 min read
PoliticsEconomy
Flexi-Jobs Row Sparks Coalition Crisis in Belgium
Belgian Budget Minister Van Peteghem warns flexi-jobs undermine social security, just weeks after his government expanded the system to all sectors.
—4 min read
PoliticsSociety
Belgium's Coalition Under Strain: Pensions, Housing, Welfare
Arts workers protest pensions, a housing scandal erupts, and unemployment reform strains CPAS — five stories reveal pressure on Belgium's coalition.
—6 min read
Social AffairsPolitics
Belgium Reform: 40.8% of Excluded Turn to Social Welfare
RTBF map reveals 40.8% of Belgians excluded from unemployment benefits turned to CPAS welfare centers, exceeding government forecasts.
—5 min read
PoliticsBelgium
Belgian MEP Yvan Verougstraete: 'Afraid of Getting Bored'
Yvan Verougstraete, president of Belgium's Les Engagés party, tells La Libre he gives himself seven more years in politics before pivoting to teaching.
—4 min read
PoliticsEurope
Belgian Chamber Approves First Step to Abolish Senate
Belgium's Chamber votes 96-16 to revise Article 195 of the Constitution, initiating the process to abolish the Senate and simplify parliament.
—4 min read
Justice & Legal AffairsPolitics
Belgium Justice Council Flags Concerns Over Financial Plan
Belgium's High Council of Justice raises concerns about the proposed national financial prosecutor's office, calling it a 'missed opportunity' for reform.
—5 min read
Domestic AffairsEconomy
Belgian Tax Conciliation Surges 30%, Avoids Court in 6 of 10
Belgian tax conciliation jumped 28% in 2025, over 60% resolved without court. Government plans to transform the service into a binding arbitration body.
—4 min read
PoliticsEurope
CD&V Wields Outsized Influence in Belgium's Abortion Debate
Despite electoral decline, Belgium's CD&V party continues to shape abortion policy. Analysts examine how it leverages coalition power.
—5 min read
PoliticsSocial
CD&V Still Wields Outsized Influence on Abortion Debate
Despite declining electoral power, Belgium's CD&V party continues to shape abortion reform negotiations, leveraging its coalition position.
—4 min read
PoliticsEconomy
Belgian Chamber Approves 2026 Budget Adjustment
Belgium's Chamber of Representatives approves the 2026 budget adjustment, a technical fix that sets the stage for tough multi-year fiscal negotiations.
—4 min read
PoliticsEconomy
De Wever Urges Budget Discipline as Belgium Faces Tightrope
Belgian PM Bart De Wever urges coalition leaders to avoid 'too crazy proposals' as the government races to finalize a federal budget before July 6.
—4 min read
PoliticsEconomy
Belgium's 'Accordeon Week' Plan Divides Coalition and Unions
Belgium's government is split over the 'accordeon week' proposal for annualized hours. Unions warn of lost overtime pay as employers tout flexibility.
—5 min read
PoliticsEurope
Rousseau Questions Verlinden's Trust in Abortion Row
Conner Rousseau questions Minister Verlinden's trust after a heated abortion debate, escalating tensions in Belgium's Arizona coalition.
—4 min read
PoliticsEconomy
Belgium Braces for Budget Storm as Coalition Tensions Mount
Ivan De Vadder warns of an impending Belgian budget crisis as the Arizona coalition faces internal divisions over defense and social spending.
—4 min read
PoliticsEurope
N-VA Won't Bring Down Government Over EU Migration Pact
Belgium's N-VA party signals it will not collapse the government over the EU Migration Pact, marking a strategic shift from 2018.
—4 min read
Belgian PoliticsEconomy
Belgian Arizona Coalition Tax Reform Passes First Hurdle
Belgium's Arizona coalition tax reform clears first reading in committee, moving toward a plenary vote with phased implementation through 2031.
—4 min read
PoliticsEconomy
Belgium Targets €6.7B Savings by 2029 in New Budget Plan
Belgium's Arizona coalition unveils a €6.7 billion savings plan by 2029, with measures on salary indexation, pensions, energy taxes, and air travel.
—5 min read
Politics
MR Board Members Quit RTBF as Belgian Budget Talks Intensify
Five MR board members resign from RTBF amid governance tensions, while budget ministers say July 21 is not a hard deadline for Belgium's federal budget.
—4 min read
PoliticsEconomy
Belgian Chamber Approves Pension Reform and Centenindex
Belgium's Chamber approves pension bonus-malus reform, centenindex wage cap, and energy support in an overnight legislative session.
—5 min read
Politics
Belgian Minister Rejects MR Chairman's Budget Conclave Idea
Budget Minister Van Peteghem rejects MR chairman Bouchez's conclave idea, exposing coalition tensions amid Belgium's austerity drive.
—4 min read
Politics
De Wever Rebuked in Parliament Over Senate Abolition
Belgian PM Bart De Wever was rebuked by the Speaker for behavior 'at the limit of respect for Parliament' during a heated debate on abolishing the Senate.
—4 min read
PoliticsDefense
De Wever Rejects Defense Cuts, Slams Critics on Geopolitics
Belgian PM Bart De Wever rejects defense spending cuts, calling 2% of GDP for NATO 'carved in marble' amid coalition budget negotiations.
—4 min read
Politics
Belgium's Decisive Week on Pension Reform and Program Law
The Belgian Chamber of Representatives debates pension reform and the program law this week. The outcome will determine the government's fiscal future.
—4 min read
PoliticsEconomy
Mahdi Claims €7B Savings Achievable in Belgian Budget Push
CD&V leader Sammy Mahdi challenges Belgian coalition partners with bold budget proposals, claiming €7 billion in savings is achievable.
—4 min read
Politics
Belgian Politics: Airport Crisis, Budget Cuts, Coalition
Belgian politicians clash over Brussels Airport's chronic failures, Walloon budget cuts spark fierce opposition, and De Wever's program law faces delay.
—4 min read
PoliticsEconomy
Belgium Rejects Social Partners' Wage Indexation Plan
Belgium's majority coalition rejects the social partners' alternative wage indexation plan, maintaining the government's limited indexation reform.
—4 min read
EconomyPolitics
Belgian Unions and Employers Unite on Wage Indexation Cap
Belgian unions and employers jointly urge the government to scrap plans to cap wage indexation ahead of a critical vote.
—4 min read