Belgium’s core cabinet will meet again on Sunday afternoon to try to reach a budget agreement, with pressure mounting on the socialist party Vooruit to help break the deadlock.

In early November, Prime Minister Bart De Wever offered his resignation to the King, who rejected it and asked him to resume talks in an effort to secure a budget deal. De Wever is due at the Palace on Monday to report back.

That report does not necessarily have to include a final agreement. However, the prime minister had hoped to bring at least a positive message to the monarch.

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It remains unclear whether that will be possible. When the talks previously stalled, much of the blame fell on MR and Vooruit.

The French-speaking liberals in MR now appear more willing to compromise, shifting attention within the coalition towards Vooruit.

Frustration is said to be growing within the socialist party. It believes the prime minister keeps presenting slightly revised versions of the same budget framework, with too little movement towards its position.

According to reports, a revised proposal was tabled on Friday that slightly reduced planned savings in healthcare, but offset this with higher expected returns from the Back to Work policy.

Vooruit argues there are clear limits to how much can be raised within that area. During the previous round of negotiations, substantial sums had already been counted on from the same measure.

Another option said to have emerged late on Friday involved index-linked measures suddenly being expected to raise €1.2 billion instead of €800 million. That proposal reportedly prompted serious concern within Vooruit.

It remains to be seen how De Wever will try to steer the talks towards an agreement when negotiations resume from 14:00. Working groups met on Saturday, and Vooruit says it will put forward what it sees as realistic compromises in an attempt to find a way out.