Prime Minister Bart De Wever (N-VA) aims to make major progress in talks with coalition parties over the weekend in order to meet the target of eliminating €10 billion from the federal budget.
According to the Belgian news agency Belga, De Wever hopes to find a final deal, if possible.
Late last week, it became clear that the federal core cabinet would not meet in full on the budget until the end of this week. Working groups have continued to prepare the ground for this meeting in the meantime.
The deadline for an agreement is 13 October, when the Prime Minister is due to address the Chamber in his annual policy speech. The European Union will also expect clarity on Belgium’s fiscal plans around this time.
Inside the seat of the Prime Minister’s office at 16 Rue de la Loi, there is a clear determination to avoid having to rely on provisional monthly budgets.
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Any political deal must still be turned into draft legislation and approved by parliament before the end of the year, making an agreement in the coming weeks all the more urgent.
Last week, De Wever's opening note was heavily criticised by the Francophone parties in the government, with a proposed revised version to be expected before the end of this week, De Tijd reported.
In what has been described as the “dream scenario,” the weekend talks would produce a full agreement, though at the very least, the Prime Minister aims to secure substantial progress.
