Flemish government reaches budget agreement after delays

The Flemish government postponed budget negotiations it had planned to conclude on Monday, 28 September, after minister Hilde Crevits and a staff member became unwell in Brussels. An ambulance was called to the government building for the staff member, ANP/BELGA reported in an article carried by Nieuws.nl. The talks had continued without a break for 24 hours, following negotiations throughout the weekend. [1]

The government had been trying to settle the budget ahead of its September declaration, scheduled for 14:00 on Monday. The minister-president was due to outline the government’s plans for the coming political year and its budget direction to parliament. [1]

Minister-president Matthias Diependaele said the negotiations might resume on Tuesday, leaving the timetable for a budget agreement uncertain. [1]

Update

The Flemish government reached a budget agreement on Wednesday, ahead of minister-president Matthias Diependaele’s delayed September declaration to the Flemish Parliament. [2]

The talks had been interrupted after two people, including minister Hilde Crevits, became unwell following prolonged negotiations. They stopped again on Tuesday because of a calculation error in a table prepared by budget minister Ben Weyts. [2]