Belgian Formateur Receives Extra Time from King Filip

brussels - Belgium's formateur Bart De Wever has been granted extra time by King Filip as efforts to form a new government continue. The discussions between five political parties have been hindered by financial issues, delaying the formation of a new Belgian government.

After 156 days, there is still no sign of a new Belgian government. Talks between five political parties repeatedly stall due to financial disagreements. Belgium is under pressure from the European Commission to improve its financial situation.

The Flemish social democrats of Vooruit criticize the direction of the other parties – N-VA, CD&V, MR, and Les Engagées – for being too right-wing. They are calling for a larger contribution from individuals with significant wealth. Speculation in Belgian media suggests a possible end to the 'Arizona coalition' and a potential return of the Flemish liberal party, Open VLD.

If Vooruit were to leave, it would result in the Flemish minority being outnumbered by the French-speaking coalition parties. This is a sensitive issue for the Flemish nationalist party, N-VA.

Despite the deadlock, the five parties still see room for further discussions. King Filip, following a meeting with formateur Bart De Wever, who is also the Mayor of Antwerp, has granted additional time. The Royal Palace statement indicated that while no breakthrough has been achieved, discussions are ongoing. De Wever did not provide any comments to the press.

Time is running out as Belgium has yet to finalize its budget for the upcoming year. Failure to do so by December 31st would limit the spending of the caretaker government. Each month, they would only be allowed to spend one twelfth of the previous year's budget.