The king met with the five party leaders of Belgium's coalition government and saw a possible path to agreement under a De Wever premiership. The palace said each leader wishes to conclude budget negotiations as quickly as possible and that the king received a formal commitment from the five leaders that their parties were prepared to make concessions to reach a deal.
The government is seeking to plug a €10 billion budget gap by 2029, but coalition partners are divided over how. The Flemish Socialist party Vooruit wants the highest earners to contribute more, while the French-speaking centre-right Reformist Movement has ruled that out and also opposed reforming value-added tax.
De Wever offered his resignation after weeks of budget talks hit a deadlock. He told parliament it was "a terrible failure on the part of the government" and confirmed the country would have to fall back on an emergency budget, allowing monthly spending of one-twelfth of the previous year's budget. The prime minister will meet the king again on Nov. 16 to report on progress.