The six political parties making up Brussels' ruling coalition continued marathon talks in parliament on Friday in a bid to reach a billion-euro budget agreement for 2025-2029, but no deal was struck.
Different participants had varying assessments of the progress of the talks, which are led by Georges Louis Bouchez, head of the Mouvement Réformateur (MR) party. Bouchez described the discussions as constructive, while other negotiators called the process painfully slow.
The meeting gave Dutch-speaking ministers Elke Van den Brande (Groen), Ans Persoons (Vooruit), and Dirk De Smedt the opportunity to answer parliamentary questions during a plenary session.
Nearly all policy areas have been addressed - Bouchez
Negotiators spent Friday reviewing financial figures and potential measures. The discussions had focused previously on urban planning, architecture, and public services, while the current session tackled other topics.
Bouchez noted that nearly all policy areas have now been addressed, and that disagreements over figures and their implications were starting to stabilise. He described the atmosphere as calm and productive.
Three working groups are expected to begin next week, with the parties to receive an agenda over the weekend outlining the next steps.
Missing data, not enough mutual trust among parties
Despite limited public statements, negotiators acknowledged that progress has been slow. Some noted efforts to reach compromises, while others stressed the need for technical clarifications and bilateral confirmations before significant progress could be made.
Concern remained over missing basic data and insufficient trust among parties, which are essential for moving forward.
