Prime Minister Bart De Wever said he hopes to give the King “a positive message” on Monday about Belgium’s stalled budget talks.
De Wever made the remark in parliament on Thursday, though the timetable for the coming days remained unclear.
At the start of November, the Prime Minister offered his resignation to King Philippe after budget negotiations reached a deadlock. The King refused to accept the resignation and asked De Wever to make a fresh attempt after consulting party leaders. Since then, opposition parties have accused the government of making too little progress.
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In the chamber on Thursday, PS group leader Pierre-Yves Dermagne told De Wever he was acting “as if the King had accepted your resignation after all”.
Barbara Pas of Vlaams Belang said the slow-moving Procession of Echternach looked “like a fast sprint compared with the budget procession.”
Matti Vandemaele of Groen said the government was still “muddling through and quarrelling,” while Steven Coenegrachts of Anders urged De Wever to take responsibility after two years as Prime Minister.
François De Smet of DéFI criticised the government’s working methods and called for a traditional budget conclave in a closed location.
De Wever said the King’s consultations had shown party leaders were willing to make concessions. “I hope that is true,” he said.
He gave little away about his next steps, saying only that the follow-up would be prepared together with the coalition partners.
“I hope I can bring the King a positive message on Monday,” De Wever said.
