Negotiations on the federal budget were paused on Sunday, with prime minister Bart De Wever set to begin new bilateral talks on Monday afternoon.
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De Wever to resume bilateral talks after budget negotiations end without agreement
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After a series of talks between De Wever and his coalition partners, senior ministers negotiated for four hours on Sunday night. Several parties say much work remains to be done.
“What was on the table tonight was unacceptable,” one said. “We made that quite clear. We need a budget that is fair and credible, boosts the economy and strengthens social cohesion. We are not there yet. We need to get back to work, striking a different balance.”
The new proposal no longer increases the top VAT rate from 21 to 22%, but talks still include shifting some product categories to different rates.
“Such a minor reform will generate far less revenue than a genuine increase, so the money will have to be found elsewhere,” political journalist Benedikte Coussement says. “This is where the classic divisions come into play: the right tends to favour spending cuts, while the left favours additional revenue, particularly from those with the deepest pockets.”
In healthcare, parties are considering measures to address the increased reimbursement scheme, co-payments and people on long-term sick leave.