Flanders reaches agreement to balance 2026 budget

The Flemish government has reached a budgetary agreement for 2026 and subsequent years, aiming to return the region's budget to a balanced state for the first time since 2019. Flemish Minister-President Matthias Diependaele announced the deal, describing it as the largest budgetary operation a Flemish government has ever faced.

To achieve this fiscal balance, the N-VA, CD&V, and Vooruit coalition has proposed several unpopular measures. These include increases in registration duties, savings regarding family allowances (Groeipakket), and higher costs for service vouchers. Diependaele stated that these measures are necessary to avoid passing debt on to future generations and to restore order to Flanders' public finances.