Belgian government dumps balanced budget pledge
The federal government is no longer aiming at a balanced budget next year. VRT News has learnt that a balanced federal budget will only be the aim in 2019.
The four-party coalition had pledged to balance the books next year, but in recent months it's become increasingly clear that this objective was nigh impossible. Earlier several government parties indicated that they no longer wished to fulfil this pledge. In recent weeks only the Flemish liberals had been insisting on a balanced budget for next year. The government will now be aiming for a balanced budget in 2019, the last year of the parliament.