Belgian King Philippe began consultations with political party leaders on Tuesday after Prime Minister Bart De Wever submitted his resignation following the failure of his five-party coalition to reach an agreement on next year's budget.
The monarch deferred a decision on De Wever's resignation after meeting with the prime minister for more than 1.5 hours on Monday, announcing that he would consult coalition leaders in an effort to resolve the political impasse.
The consultations come amid mounting tensions within the governing coalition, with disagreements over budgetary measures raising concerns about the government's ability to maintain unity and agree on a financial roadmap.
Yvan Verougstraete, chairman of Les Engages, was the first coalition party leader to meet with the king on Tuesday, according to broadcaster VRT.
He left the palace after just over an hour, saying he had presented "constructive ideas" that could help overcome the deadlock.
"We must remain calm and find a solution together. The match is not over yet. We will continue until the end," Verougstraete told reporters before his meeting with the monarch.
CD&V Chairman Sammy Mahdi was the second party leader to meet with King Philippe, holding discussions for approximately an hour about the stalled budget negotiations.
Mahdi expressed anger over the conduct of some coalition partners, particularly MR and Vooruit, accusing them of failing to demonstrate sufficient urgency in addressing the country's financial challenges.
Warning of the potential consequences of a prolonged deadlock, the CD&V leader said Belgium could face "Greek conditions" if political leaders failed to reach an agreement.
He argued that financial markets could react harshly to the country's budgetary uncertainty, potentially putting the wider social welfare system at risk.
King Philippe's consultations are aimed at assessing the positions of coalition partners and exploring whether an agreement can still be reached before he decides on De Wever's resignation.
The political crisis erupted after the five-party coalition failed to agree on next year's budget, prompting the prime minister to offer his resignation to the monarch.
Further consultations with political party leaders are expected as efforts continue to find a solution to the budget impasse.
