Belgium's new Prime Minister, Bart De Wever, presented his government's policy priorities to parliament on Tuesday. The focus includes stricter migration policies, reversing the nuclear phase-out law, and increasing defence spending to meet NATO targets.
De Wever, a right-wing Flemish nationalist, has adopted a more conciliatory tone, even starting his statement in French instead of Dutch. The government aims to curb migration, citing the strain on reception capacity. Belgium received 39,615 asylum applications in 2024, exceeding the country's capacity of 36,200 places. De Wever stated that a "more orderly and humane migration policy" requires stricter measures, including making family reunification more difficult.
The new government plans to scrap Belgium's nuclear phase-out law, deemed "outdated" by De Wever. Energy Minister Mathieu Bihet indicated that the country is considering building new reactors.
De Wever reiterated plans to increase defence spending to 2% of GDP by 2029, aligning with NATO commitments, and to 2.5% by 2034. Currently, Belgium allocates 1.3% of its GDP to defence. De Wever emphasized the importance of contributing to the protection of Western society as a founding member of NATO.