Flemish budget marathon ends with minister and staff collapsing from exhaustion

The Flemish government's marathon budget negotiations for 2027 ended with Vice Premier Hilde Crevits and a Vooruit staff member falling ill from exhaustion, highlighting the intensity of talks over €1.6 billion in cuts. The coalition, led by Premier Jan Jambon's N-VA, faces pressure to deliver a balanced budget by the fourth Monday of September, a key political deadline. The incident underscores the political strain but has no direct market impact.