Brussels: Europe and the Arab World

The Royal Palace in Brussels announced Thursday morning that King Philippe will receive Prime Minister Bart De Wever at 1:00 PM. The Prime Minister will present a report on the budget negotiations during the meeting.

According to local media, De Wever will participate in a National Security Council meeting on the drone threat at 10:00 AM. Following this, the Prime Minister will meet with the King. The weekly parliamentary question time is also scheduled for later. Many observers believe the situation is unclear, and there is uncertainty surrounding the fate of the current government. Some are wondering whether the Prime Minister will submit the government's resignation to the Belgian monarch or present him with a report on the failure of the multiannual budget negotiations. The government had been granted several extensions to resolve the budget disputes, amidst statements indicating that the Walloon Liberal Party was obstructing the process due to its refusal to propose tax increases. This hindered reaching an agreement before the budget was put to a vote in Parliament. Foreign immigrants also hope the government will not continue in light of the difficult decisions it has made, including the elimination of monthly unemployment benefits starting at the beginning of next year. Labor unions organized a massive demonstration last October to protest the government's policies on pensions, unemployment benefits, taxes, and other issues, and are preparing to hold another protest at the end of this month. Some foreigners do not oppose the elimination of unemployment benefits as long as suitable job opportunities are available. However, older immigrants are particularly affected because they are required to find work due to their age and health problems, and employers prefer younger people for jobs. This threatens older immigrants with losing their monthly unemployment benefits or accepting significantly less than what is offered by social assistance organizations. According to the daily newspaper Nieuwsblad, with the federal government's multiannual budget deadline having passed, it appears that next year will be governed by provisional budget plans. But this isn't all bad, says Rudy Arnott, chief of staff to MR party leader Georges-Louis Bouchet, on the VRT radio program "De ochtend." A provisional budget means that next year, for a limited period, the government will only be allowed to spend one-twelfth of last year's budget each month.

"The provisional twelve-twelfth system is unfortunate, it's true, it's never happened before. But it's not that bad," Arnott says. "I think we might have to operate on a provisional system for a month or two. The advantage is that there are no extra expenses. So we have to take our time."

Arnott says maturity is needed from all parties to reach an agreement. However, there is considerable frustration among the other participating parties because, in their view, the MR party, in particular, is sticking to its position. "I'm not going to make a fuss about the deadline passing," Arnott says. There is little indication that the federal government will succeed in reaching an agreement on the multiannual budget in the near future. Prime Minister Bart De Wever will travel to the palace to present his report to the King.

In any case, a meeting of the National Security Council is scheduled for 10:00 AM to discuss the drone threat. This will be followed by a meeting of the Interior Cabinet. The Prime Minister must then decide what can be done within the framework of the budget negotiations.

The weekly question period in Parliament is also scheduled for the afternoon. Therefore, a visit to the King may take place during this time. It remains unclear whether he will resign there or simply present a report on the political situation.

Another deadline has been missed, and another no-deal Brexit. The federal government must once again go to Parliament on Thursday, empty-handed. But first, Prime Minister De Wever is heading to the palace, although the question remains: what will he present to the King—a resignation or a report? The leader of the Liberal Party (MR), Georges-Louis Bouchet, responded to the budget negotiations on Wednesday evening during a Unizo dinner in Markedal, East Flanders. Bouchet emphasized three points: that the MR party is putting forward counter-proposals during the negotiations, that it supports the government and the Prime Minister, and that there is no reason not to continue until 2029. He added, "I assume we will find a solution."

He stated, "I didn't get 30% of the vote just to approve the agreement." He repeatedly affirmed his desire to remain with this government until 2029 and his support for Prime Minister Bart De Wever in reaching an agreement. However, he added that he does not agree with the proposed VAT increase discussed during the budget talks.