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…
In 30 seconds
- De Morgen reports the De Wever government is targeting roughly €10 billion in federal savings, with a working horizon of around mid-October.
- Prime Minister Bart De Wever (N-VA) said it is 'theoretically possible' to save €10 billion, according to Het Nieuwsblad.
- Ghent University political scientist Carl Devos argues in Het Laatste Nieuws that small measures will not suffice and that big structural decisions are needed.
- The €10 billion is a federal-level target and is distinct from the separate budgets of Flanders, Wallonia, Brussels and the language communities.
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.
The Belgian angle
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.
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- 25 Jul 2026
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- 25 Jul 2026
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- 25 Jul 2026
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