An angry Mahdi points at MR and Vooruit as Bouchez and Rousseau head to the palace today

Yvan Verougstraete (Les Engagés) was the first party leader received by King Philippe on Tuesday morning. On arrival he said, according to RTBF, that a way out of the budget crisis still exists provided every partner makes a move, and that the parties will keep going until the last second. Business AM reported that he called for calm and rejected the idea of a different majority. Anders leader Frédéric De Gucht had earlier that morning again offered his party's eight seats to back a right-leaning economic programme, VRT NWS and La Libre reported.

Sammy Mahdi (CD&V) arrived at the palace around midday visibly angry. He accused MR and Vooruit of playing games and, according to Business AM, asked them to negotiate behind closed doors rather than on television. Without a deal, he told VRT NWS, Belgium risks Greek-style conditions. Deputy prime minister Vincent Van Peteghem (CD&V) warned of a second year of provisional twelfths and of the consequences for the country's credit rating. The OECD on the same day again urged Belgium to put its public finances in order.

On Wednesday the king receives MR leader Georges-Louis Bouchez and Vooruit leader Conner Rousseau. VRT journalist Bart Verhulst described it as a day of difficult customers: according to the broadcaster, Les Engagés and CD&V are not the main problem. The government is looking for ten billion euros in savings by 2029; Vooruit wants a bigger contribution from the broadest shoulders. N-VA leader Valerie Van Peel follows on Thursday, and on Friday at 10.30 the king will see Prime Minister Bart De Wever again. The government's resignation remains under consideration until then.

Financial markets have stayed calm so far, although the Belgian ten-year yield, at 4.38 percent, is at its highest level in fourteen years, Terzake said. L'Avenir notes that provisional twelfths for 2027 look increasingly likely, something the prime minister had always ruled out.