Can the De Wever government really save €10 billion in one term? Carl Devos on why small steps won't do
As Prime Minister Bart De Wever's federal coalition sets itself the goal of finding some €10 billion in savings by mid-October, the Ghent University political scientist Carl Devos argues in a widely read opinion piece that a sum that large cannot be reached through the usual accumulation of small, painless measures — it demands big structural choices Belgian coalitions habitually avoid.
The size of the target — about €10 billion at federal level — means the choices ahead are unlikely to be painless. Whether the burden falls on pensions, healthcare, unemployment provisions, taxes or public services will shape household budgets and public services for people living in Belgium across the government's term, and it will determine Belgium's standing with the European Commission and bond markets.
The De Wever government is the federal Belgian coalition led by Prime Minister Bart De Wever (N-VA), formed after the 2024 elections and drawing together several parties across the language divide. It faces a large budget deficit and, as reported by De Morgen, is targeting roughly €10 billion in federal savings by around mid-October. Carl Devos, a professor of political science at Ghent University (UGent) and a frequent commentator in the Flemish media, argues in Het Laatste Nieuws that a sum this large requires major structural decisions rather than an accumulation of small measures. The effort is sharpened by the EU's excessive deficit procedure, under which Belgium has been placed since 2024.
Background
Belgian federal governments have long struggled to convert headline savings targets into durable structural reform, because the country's coalition system gives several parties a veto over measures that hurt their core constituencies. Pensions, healthcare and debt interest consume a large share of the federal budget, narrowing the field of discretionary spending and pushing any serious consolidation toward politically sensitive structural choices. Belgium was placed under the EU excessive deficit procedure in 2024, adding external pressure to a long-running domestic debate about fiscal sustainability.
What to do
Households should watch for potential changes to pensions, healthcare, benefits and taxation as the package takes shape, while the exact measures remain undecided and should not be assumed.
Impact
Regional — Although the €10 billion is a federal target, the way it is met will be felt regionally: Francophone commentators and opposition parties tend to read federal consolidation through its impact on Wallonia and Brussels, where the social stakes of retrenchment are acute, while the regional and community budgets of Flanders, Wallonia, Brussels and the language communities remain separate accounts with their own deficits.
Opposing perspectives
- De Wever coalition (government)
The government's own frame, voiced by Prime Minister Bart De Wever (N-VA), is that consolidation of this scale is both necessary and achievable — he has called €10 billion 'theoretically possible' — and that Belgium's credibility with the European Commission and lenders depends on delivering a serious package by the autumn deadline.
- Carl Devos (UGent political scientist)
Devos accepts that consolidation is necessary but disputes the method, arguing in Het Laatste Nieuws that a target of €10 billion cannot be met by accumulating small, low-pain measures. He warns that only major structural decisions will genuinely move the deficit, and that Belgian coalitions habitually avoid exactly those choices.
- ABVV/FGTB and ACV/CSC (trade unions)
Belgium's largest trade unions, the socialist ABVV/FGTB and the Christian-democratic ACV/CSC, have consistently opposed consolidation that lands on wages, pensions and public services. A cuts-led package would be likely to draw resistance from these organisations, who argue the burden should not fall on workers and pensioners.
- Francophone opposition and commentators
From the Francophone side, opposition parties and commentators tend to read federal austerity through its social impact on Wallonia and Brussels, where retrenchment in public provision is felt acutely. They question whether the burden is shared fairly across regions and income groups rather than concentrated on the most vulnerable.
Sources & evidence
- View sourceHet Laatste Nieuws — Carl Devos opinion on saving €10 billion in one legislaturePrimary· hln.beRetrieved 25 July 2026
- View sourceDe Morgen — regering-De Wever jaagt op 10 miljard euro tegen half oktober· demorgen.beRetrieved 25 July 2026
- View sourceHet Nieuwsblad — De Wever hoopvol over begrotingstekort, '10 miljard theoretisch mogelijk'· nieuwsblad.beRetrieved 25 July 2026
