Belgian king refuses Prime Minister Bart De Wever's resignation

Summary

Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever handed in his resignation on Monday amid a continuing budget crisis, after coalition partners failed to agree on a 2027 spending plan, Euronews reported. Politico and Euronews both reported that King Philippe refused the resignation and asked De Wever to restart budget negotiations with his fractious coalition partners. An earlier Straits Times report said De Wever would meet the king on Friday to determine whether he would resign or continue in office.

Timeline

1. Straits Times

   6 Nov 2026, 04:23 UTCSource ↗

   The Straits Times reports that Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever would meet the king on Friday to determine whether he will resign or continue in office after the collapse of budget negotiations sparked a government crisis.

2. Politico

   6 Nov 2026, 11:43 UTCSource ↗

   Politico reports that King Philippe refused Bart De Wever's resignation and instead asked the prime minister to restart budget negotiations with his fractious coalition partners.

3. Euronews

   6 Nov 2026, 14:17 UTCSource ↗

   Euronews reports that De Wever, a Flemish conservative, handed in his resignation on Monday amid a continuing budget crisis, and that the king refused it and asked him to restart budget talks.