The five parties negotiating to form Belgium's next Federal Government will meet at 14:00 on Monday to restart talks. With the clock ticking to find an agreement before the end of the year, the party leaders plan for almost daily negotiations.
Since Flemish socialists Vooruit decided to return to the table last Friday, negotiations seem to be back on track. The question now is whether the leaders of the five 'Arizona' parties (Flemish rightwing N-VA, Christian Democrats CD&V and Vooruit, and Francophone liberal MR and centrist Les Engagés) can find a coalition agreement.
To keep up the momentum, formator Bart De Wever (N-VA) now wants to negotiate six days a week. Taxation – one of the difficult topics – will likely not be dealt with immediately as other topics will be discussed first to restore trust between the partners.
Pulling out all the stops
Whilst all parties recognise the urgent need to address Belgium's creaking finances, they are divided about how this should be done. Notably, this has seen Vooruit (the only left-of-centre party in the negotiations) push for a greater tax burden to be placed on those with greater assets.
In an interview on Sunday, N-VA negotiator Jan Jambon said that other negotiating parties fear this approach might exacerbate the economic situation. He stressed the importance of reaching an agreement, saying that the five-party coalition is the best option for Beglium's next government: "Any other scenario is a worse scenario. We will negotiate six days a week, or even seven if needed."
However, Jambon acknowledged that forming a new Federal Government by 1 December and approving a budget by the end of the year might not be feasible. "In case that does not succeed, we will have to work with provisional twelfths for a short period. But let's do everything we can first."
The provisional twelfths system means that every month of 2025 the Federal Government will only be able to spend one-twelfth of its total expenditure in 2024. This means it will still meet key costs, such as wages or paying invoices.
N-VA's Jan Jambon. Credit: Belga/Dirk Waem
Whether the negotiators find an agreement or not, the outgoing Federal Government will be making preparations for using the provisional twelfths system, Belga News Agency reports. The outgoing Prime Minister Alexander De Croo (Open VLD) announced that an inter-cabinet working group to prepare these provisional twelfths will meet on Thursday 21 November.
Outgoing Interior Minister Annelies Verlinden (CD&V) said that "things should now be able to move quickly" in the formation, as many texts have already been drafted in various policy areas and working groups on several themes – such as migration, justice and energy – have already taken place.
"We have to now step things up a gear," she said on Sunday. "We cannot wait, everyone says so: people on the street, the banks, the EU. If we try, we can make a government in three to four weeks. That might come back to haunt me but much of the preparatory work has already been done. Above all, there has to be the will to say: We will take on this project together and will see it through to completion."
On Monday 25 November, De Wever is expected at the Royal Palace. If the talks do not break down again in the coming week, it is assumed that his assignment will be extended again.
