Brussels: After prolonged and tense negotiations, Belgium’s federal government has secured a budget agreement for the coming year, Prime Minister Bart De Wever confirmed, according to broadcaster VRT. The breakthrough came after marathon talks that started on Sunday morning and continued into the early hours of Monday.
De Wever had earlier given his fragile five-party coalition a strict “Christmas deadline” to seal a deal, warning that failure to comply could threaten the government’s survival. Amid deep divisions over how to restore the country’s public finances, the coalition finally converged on a budget framework under heavy time pressure.
However, the deal will not stop a planned three-day national strike, set to begin the same day. The strike is aimed at protesting the government’s proposed pension reforms and is expected to severely disrupt public transport, notably trains, as well as air travel. Brussels Airport has pre-emptively cancelled its Wednesday departures, anticipating significant picketing by security and handling staff.
The agreement marks a significant, though precarious, moment for De Wever’s administration: it averts an immediate fiscal crisis, but social and political tensions remain high. The coming days will test whether the government can translate its financial accord into lasting stability and whether labour unrest will force it to recalibrate its reform strategy.