Latest news in Belgium? September 11th, 2026

Federal Budget Negotiations and Austerity Debates Belgian coalition parties are locked in intense negotiations to close a substantial federal budget deficit. Mouvement Réformateur (MR) leader Georges-Louis Bouchez sparked controversy with a proposal to slash €17 billion from government spending without raising taxes, targeting reductions in healthcare administration, cutting the number of civil servants, merging municipalities, and closing selected train stations and courthouses. Meanwhile, major trade unions (ABVV-FGTB and ACV-CSC) have pushed back, warning against cuts to public services or changes to wage indexation and threatening mass strikes ahead of planned October demonstrations.UK–Belgium Cross-Border Security Pact Belgian Interior Minister Bernard Quintin and UK officials finalized the UK-Belgium Law Enforcement Cooperation Agreement (LECA). The bilateral pact enhances autonomous, real-time intelligence sharing between British and Belgian authorities to target organized criminal syndicates and smuggling networks operating along the North Sea coast and English Channel. Under the agreement, Belgian police have expanded surveillance parameters and authorization to operate with firearms on specific cross-border Eurostar connections.Defense and International Cooperation Talks between Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken and Ukrainian officials outlined bilateral defense support priorities, focusing on expanding technical cooperation in drone production, ammunition supply, and maintenance capabilities for F-16 fighter aircraft.Legal and Domestic Affairs Following a legal referral regarding intellectual property, European courts examined far-right party Vlaams Belang’s political campaigning, advising that commercial trademarks cannot be repurposed without consent for partisan political and anti-immigration advertisements.