Belgian premier threatens to resign if coalition becomes ‘incapable of making decisions’

ISTANBUL

Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever has warned that he will step down if his coalition government becomes unable to make decisions, amid rising tensions within the ruling alliance and debates over energy policy and relations with Russia, local media reported on Monday.

In interviews with French-language newspapers, De Wever said he would not remain in office if the government becomes paralyzed, VRT news reported.

“If this government is no longer capable of making decisions, I will not remain prime minister,” he said, adding that he has “absolutely no desire to do nothing until the end of the term.”

The warning comes as a new poll by Het Laatste Nieuws (HLN) and VTM shows De Wever’s nationalist New Flemish Alliance (N-VA) remaining the largest party in both Flanders and Belgium, while several French-speaking coalition parties have seen their support decline.

De Wever acknowledged the political fragility of the coalition, noting that its stability partly depends on the electoral strength of French-speaking partners.

“I am very grateful to the Walloons who voted for MR and Les Engages, because this offers us the opportunity to get to work at the federal level,” he said.

At the same time, he warned against political deadlock within the government.

“I cannot accept the red lines of any party. Otherwise, we will keep treading water, as the Vivaldi coalition did,” De Wever said, referring to Belgium’s previous federal government.

He also sparked controversy by suggesting the EU should negotiate with Russia to end the war in Ukraine and eventually restore access to cheaper energy supplies.

“We must negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine and at the same time normalize relations with Russia in order to regain access to cheap energy. That is simply common sense,” De Wever said in an interview with the newspaper L’Echo.

His remarks drew criticism from members of his own government. Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot cautioned against discussing normalization with Moscow while the war continues.

“Today, Russia refuses the European presence at the negotiating table and maintains maximalist demands. As long as that is the case, speaking of normalization sends a signal of weakening that undermines European unity,” Prevot said.

De Wever also warned against efforts by the French-speaking liberal party MR, led by Georges-Louis Bouchez, to field electoral lists in Flanders.

“In my opinion, it is not a good idea to divide the right-wing parties,” he said.