POLPoliticsExplainer NO. ---

Belgium strikes: De Wever's coalition misses budget deadline

Tens of thousands marched in Brussels and public services were hit by strikes while Prime Minister Bart De Wever's coalition missed its budget deadline. Here is what is on the table, what unions want and what to watch.

By Rowan Ashby Published 21.10.26 11:57 UTC 7 min read

Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever during a visit to the European Commission in March 2025 — Dati Bendo (European Commission) / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 4.0 · Source

Key takeaways

Belgium's two largest unions staged a national strike and march in Brussels on Friday, October 9, 2026, followed by a second day of nationwide strike action on Monday, October 12, against austerity plans in the next federal budget.
Police put the Brussels march at about 30,000 people; the socialist union ABVV/FGTB earlier estimated 50,000. Police said 21 people, including 13 minors, were detained after a small masked group clashed with officers near Brussels Central Station.
Prime Minister Bart De Wever's five-party coalition is trying to find about 10 billion euros in savings and new revenue by 2029, but it missed its mid-October target for a deal and cancelled his State of the Union address.
On October 17, ministers shelved a proposed 4 billion euro emergency mechanism for 2027 that could have limited automatic wage and benefit indexation, Brussels Morning reported. Talks on the multi-year package continue.
The government says painful measures are needed now to avoid a spiral in interest costs. Unions say the burden falls on workers, pensioners and low-income households and want higher taxes on top earners instead.

Two days of Belgium strikes, on October 9 and 12, 2026, targeted austerity plans in the next federal budget, while Prime Minister Bart De Wever's five-party coalition missed its mid-October target to agree about 10 billion euros in savings and new revenue by 2029.

This explainer sets out what is being proposed, what happened on the streets, what each side says, and what to watch next.

Background: a 10 billion euro gap

De Wever's coalition, nicknamed "Arizona" after the colors of its parties, brings together his N-VA, the Francophone liberals of the MR, the centrist Les Engagés, the Flemish socialists of Vooruit and the Flemish Christian Democrats of CD&V. It must find more than 10 billion euros in savings and new revenue to cut the deficit and comply with EU fiscal rules by 2029, according to The Brussels Times and the Belga news agency. Senior officials at the National Bank and the Debt Agency have warned that, without clear action, Belgium could face a "snowballing" rise in interest costs, a warning De Wever has repeated in parliament.

The government also wants to avoid repeating last year, when a deal came only at the end of November and the state had to run on provisional monthly spending allowances at the start of the year.

What is on the table

Proposal (as reported)	Supporters	Opponents
Raise the top VAT rate from 21% to 22%; possibly merge the 6% and 12% rates into 9%	N-VA, CD&V see VAT reform as hard to avoid	MR (cross-border shopping), Vooruit (on the 6% rate); unions
About 2 billion euros in healthcare cuts, or a lower growth norm for health spending	Proposed in De Wever's plan	Vooruit, Les Engagés; unions
Savings in asylum and migration	N-VA	Vooruit, Les Engagés
Keeping an agreed labor cost cut worth about 2 billion euros net	N-VA, CD&V	Unions want the burden shifted toward higher earners
Emergency mechanism of about 4 billion euros for 2027, including possible limits on automatic indexation	Presented by De Wever on October 14	Vooruit, CD&V; shelved on October 17

Sources: The Brussels Times (October 6 and 10), Brussels Morning (October 18), Euronews, Reuters. Positions may shift as negotiations continue.

What happened: timeline

Early October: Student protests begin in Liege over rising education costs, overcrowded classrooms and reforms students fear will make higher education less accessible, Reuters reported. Authorities banned public gatherings after clashes and damage to shops; Euronews and Al Jazeera reported more than 200 arrests and dozens of injured police officers there.
Sunday, October 4: De Wever and his coalition partners meet for almost nine hours without a deal, The Brussels Times reported. Les Engagés leader Maxime Prevot calls the plan "unbalanced."
Thursday, October 8: De Wever tells parliament that painful budget measures are needed now to avert a looming debt and interest-cost spiral, Reuters reported.
Friday, October 9: A national strike called by the ABVV/FGTB and ACV/CSC unions disrupts public transport, air travel, schools and childcare. Tens of thousands march from Brussels Central to Brussels South under the slogan "stay out of our pockets." Police said the main rally was peaceful, but a few dozen masked people threw rocks, bottles and fireworks and set fires, including to shared bikes. Police used water cannon and tear gas and detained 21 people, 13 of them minors. Hundreds of students joined the march.
Weekend of October 10-11: Coalition partners fail to agree, and the prime minister's office cancels the State of the Union address planned for Tuesday, October 13, Reuters reported.
Monday, October 12: A second day of nationwide strike action partly shuts the public sector, affecting rail, public transport, public broadcasting and schools. No large demonstration was held in Brussels.
Wednesday, October 14: De Wever presents an emergency mechanism that could trigger about 4 billion euros of adjustments in 2027 if market pressure rises, Brussels Morning reported.
Saturday, October 17: Ministers shelve the emergency mechanism "at this stage" and refocus on the multi-year plan. Deputy Prime Minister David Clarinval said it remained available as a fallback.

What protesters want

The unions say the government's measures would put the burden on workers, pensioners and low-income households, Reuters reported. According to Euronews, they want higher taxes on the highest earners rather than cuts in areas such as healthcare, and they oppose a VAT increase that would raise everyday prices. They also object to any limits on Belgium's system of automatic wage indexation, which links pay and benefits to inflation, and to plans for annualized working time, Al Jazeera reported.

"Things are getting worse at an ever-faster rate; people have had enough," a union representative told Euronews. Union leaders said the rioters had nothing to do with their rally.

Students, mainly from the French-speaking community, are protesting against education budget cuts and rising costs. Some told Al Jazeera they were inspired by school protests in France and felt they were not being listened to.

How the government responds

De Wever's core argument is fiscal: that acting now is cheaper than acting later, when higher interest costs would leave less room for public services and burden future generations. He has said he does not see a repeat of last year's late budget as an option. His office has not commented in detail on the protests, and Bullquill found no government statement responding directly to the unions' demands in the reporting reviewed.

Within the coalition, the disagreement is about who carries the burden. The MR firmly opposes VAT increases, pointing out that 56% of Belgians live within 25 kilometers of a national border and could shop abroad. Vooruit and Les Engagés reject healthcare cuts and some migration measures. N-VA and CD&V refuse to undo the labor cost cut, The Brussels Times reported.

What it means

For households: VAT changes, healthcare savings and any touch to indexation would directly affect living costs. That is why the unions, unusually united, are mobilizing early.
For the coalition: Belgian media reported that a prolonged deadlock could strain the government's cohesion. A budget that satisfies the MR on taxes and Vooruit on social spending is hard to design.
For public finances: Belgium must submit budget plans to the European Commission under EU fiscal rules. A missed deadline is not a crisis in itself, but a long delay could unsettle investors and the Commission.
For Europe: Belgium's protests are part of a wider autumn wave over budgets and living costs, alongside school and cost-of-living protests in France and Italy and housing protests in Spain, Reuters noted.

What comes next

A budget deal: Belgian media cited by Reuters said an agreement could slip to late October or early November. The State of the Union address will be rescheduled once there is a deal.
Union response: The unions had not announced a new national strike date in the reporting reviewed. Their reaction to the final package, especially on VAT, healthcare and indexation, will show whether the strikes resume.
Students: Whether student protests in Liege and Brussels continue, and whether gathering bans are lifted.
Indexation: Whether the shelved emergency mechanism returns if talks fail, as Clarinval suggested it could.

Frequently asked questions

Why are Belgian unions striking?

The ABVV/FGTB and ACV/CSC unions oppose austerity measures under discussion for the next federal budget, including VAT increases, healthcare savings and possible limits on automatic wage and benefit indexation. They say the burden falls on workers, pensioners and low-income households.

How many people marched in Brussels on October 9?

Police estimated about 30,000 people; the ABVV/FGTB union earlier put the figure at 50,000. Police said 21 people, including 13 minors, were detained after a small masked group clashed with officers.

How much does the Belgian government want to save?

Prime Minister Bart De Wever's coalition is looking for about 10 billion euros in savings and new revenue by 2029 to reduce the deficit and comply with EU fiscal rules.

Has Belgium agreed its budget?

Not as of October 21. The coalition missed its mid-October target, De Wever cancelled his State of the Union address, and on October 17 ministers shelved a proposed 4 billion euro emergency mechanism. Belgian media say a deal could slip to late October or early November.

Why are students protesting in Belgium?

Students, mainly in the French-speaking community, are protesting against education budget cuts, rising costs and overcrowded classrooms. Protests that began in Liege led to more than 200 arrests there, according to Euronews and Al Jazeera.