Latest news in Belgium? September 22nd, 2026

Belgium’s political and economic agenda is dominated by intense federal budget negotiations, alongside major debates over asylum policies and EU regulatory shifts.

• Federal Budget Crunch: Prime Minister Bart De Wever’s federal coalition is under heavy pressure to identify roughly €10 billion in spending cuts and structural reforms to rein in a deficit reaching 5.2% of GDP and debt levels above 110% of GDP. With core cabinet meetings set for this week, coalition partners face sharp disagreements over where cuts and revenue measures should fall.

  www.wam.ae+ 1

• Asylum and Migration Policy: The federal government recently clarified its stance on EU offshore “return hubs,” confirming that while Belgium supports establishing third-country processing centers for rejected adult asylum seekers, it will strictly exempt unaccompanied minors from being sent there.

  The Brussels Times

• EU Procurement Shake-Up: Belgian authorities and businesses are evaluating the domestic fallout of the European Commission’s newly proposed uniform Public Procurement Act. Because the regulation would replace national transposition rules across the bloc, Belgium faces having to overhaul aspects of its statutory contract enforcement and public tenders architecture.

  Bird & Bird