Belgian MR counters N-VA savings plan with growth-focused budget proposal

Belgium's French-speaking liberal party MR is pushing back against a draft savings plan from Prime Minister Bart De Wever's N-VA, which proposes €14 billion in cuts. MR leaders David Clarinval and Maxime Prévot walked out of a kern meeting, criticizing the plan as too focused on austerity and taxes, and are preparing a growth-oriented counter-proposal ahead of budget negotiations. The outcome is uncertain, as the coalition must reconcile divergent fiscal strategies.