Belgian king refuses PM Bart De Wever’s resignation

Belgium’s King Philippe refused Prime Minister Bart De Wever’s resignation Friday, asking him to “resume budget talks immediately” after they broke down earlier this week. “The King has decided to decline the Prime Minister’s resignation and has asked him to resume the budget negotiations immediately,” Belgium’s royal palace said in an official statement Friday.

De Wever offered his resignation to the king earlier this week after weekslong budget talks hit a deadlock. Since then, Philippe has met with the five party leaders who make up Belgium’s coalition government and concluded that there is still a possible path for them to agree under a De Wever premiership.

“Following his discussions with the leaders of the five majority parties, the King noted that each of them wishes to conclude the budget negotiations as quickly as possible … The King also received a formal commitment from the five party leaders that their respective parties are prepared to make concessions in order to reach an agreement within the government,” the palace’s statement said.