The stand-off sets up a test of strength between Prime Minister Bart De Wever’s five-party coalition and the country’s main trade unions, amid public concern over the cost of living and the future of Belgium’s welfare model.
After more than 20 hours of talks stretching from Sunday into the early hours of Monday, the coalition agreed a budget framework for 2026 and the following years. The package aims to reduce the federal deficit by around €9.2 billion by 2029 through a combination of spending cuts and higher revenues. Belgium’s deficit is projected at about 4.5% of GDP this year and public debt at roughly 105% of GDP, placing the country above the EU’s reference values just as re-tightened European fiscal rules begin to apply.
According to details reported by Belgian and international media, the consolidation plan includes new or higher levies on share transactions, airline tickets and natural gas, alongside a banking tax and increases in indirect taxes on items such as hotel stays, festivals, cinema tickets and takeaway food. Plans to reduce personal income tax have been postponed, yielding further savings for the federal budget. The government argues that the mix of measures spreads the burden while addressing structural imbalances in public finances built up over several years.
Unions, however, view the package as a continuation of austerity. The three main confederations – socialist, Christian and liberal – have called coordinated industrial action against what they describe as cuts to pensions, social security and public services, as well as changes to labour-market rules and long-term sickness schemes. They argue that the cumulative effect of reforms will weaken protections for lower- and middle-income households at a time when inflation and housing costs have already eroded purchasing power.
The industrial action is structured in three phases. Railway workers launched a 72-hour strike on Sunday night, sharply reducing domestic and cross-border train services and affecting Eurostar links. On Tuesday, public-sector staff, including workers in schools and some government services, are due to join, with hospitals expected to maintain only essential care. The action is set to culminate on Wednesday in a general strike across both public and private sectors, with major disruption anticipated in industry, logistics and retail.
Air travel is also heavily affected. Brussels Airport and Charleroi Airport have both announced that they expect to halt departures on Wednesday, with Charleroi planning a full shutdown as security and ground-handling staff take part in the stoppage. Airlines have already cancelled a large share of flights and are offering rebooking or refunds, while travel advisories warn passengers to avoid itineraries through Belgium between 24 and 26 November wherever possible.
The government has so far signalled that it will not reopen the budget deal under pressure from the strikes. De Wever has described the agreement as a “tough exercise” but necessary to stabilise Belgium’s public finances and maintain investor confidence. Ministers also point to EU expectations that member states gradually bring debt and deficits back within agreed parameters, arguing that failure to act now would lead to more abrupt adjustments later.
Union leaders counter that the current consolidation path places too much emphasis on cuts and indirect taxation while limiting relief measures for vulnerable groups. They have called for broader dialogue on economic policy, including wage formation, indexation and the distributional impact of tax changes. The three-day strike follows a year of protests and earlier one-day stoppages, including a large demonstration in Brussels in October that mobilised tens of thousands of participants.
The dispute is being watched closely in other EU capitals, as Belgium holds a symbolic position as the host state of the EU institutions and sits at the centre of debates over fiscal policy, social protection and competitiveness.
November transport strikes set to disrupt travel across Europe
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