Belgian parliaments freeze party funding indexation for 2025
Both the Flemish and federal parliaments have decided to freeze party funding for another year, halting the planned indexation that would have increased party budgets by several percentage points. This decision continues the trend of recent years to curb political financing.
In a session late on Thursday night, the federal parliament unanimously approved a 5.32 per cent reduction in party funding for 2025. The measure extends a policy introduced by the outgoing De Croo government to prevent automatic budget increases through indexation. The policy was originally set to expire on 31 December but will now remain in effect for another year.
Federal parliamentary speaker Peter De Roover of the right-wing N-VA submitted the proposal. He said the measure was temporary and that a broader agreement could be reached once a new federal government is in place.
Contentious topic
The Flemish parliament has also opted not to index party funding in 2025, following a similar decision for 2024. This move is estimated to save an additional 239,000 euros next year.
Party funding in Belgium has been a contentious issue for years. Many political parties have publicly called for reductions, especially during election campaigns. Negotiations between the N-VA, Christian democrats CD&V, socialists Vooruit, liberals MR and Les Engagés - the parties currently working on forming a new federal government - include discussions on overhauling the financing system. However, no agreement has been reached so far, partly due to resistance from francophone parties.
The federal parliament in Brussels © BELGA PHOTO HATIM KAGHAT
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