Senior government officials met on Sunday morning to resume budget negotiations aimed at securing €10 billion in cuts before the Christmas deadline.
The meeting began at 10:30 at the Prime Minister’s residence in the Rue de la Loi, with Deputy Prime Ministers arriving to address a deal that had previously stalled.
Frank Vandenbroucke, Deputy Prime Minister from the socialist Vooruit party, was first to arrive but declined to speak to the media. He was followed by Maxime Prévot from Les Engagés, who also entered the premises without comment.
Budget Minister Vincent Van Peteghem of the Flemish Christian Democrats (CD&V) was more forthcoming, stating it was time to make decisive choices. He emphasised the importance of reaching a fair agreement that provides certainty and safeguards the country’s economic prosperity.
Van Peteghem expressed hopes for meaningful progress during Sunday’s talks. When asked about a possible general VAT increase proposed previously by Prime Minister Bart De Wever, he neither confirmed nor denied whether the idea had been abandoned, saying it would be discussed at the table.
Despite the challenges, the Budget Minister remains optimistic that the government could meet its Christmas deadline, suggesting an agreement might even be within reach “today or in the coming days.” However, he noted that the timing remains uncertain.
Later in the morning, Federal Minister for Employment, Economy, and Agriculture, David Clarinval of the liberal MR party, arrived. Clarinval’s party has repeatedly opposed the idea of a VAT hike, but the minister stated, “Good work will be done today.”
