The main ministers of the federal government met at 1 p.m. on Saturday at the office of Prime Minister Alexander De Croo for a plenary meeting dedicated to the 2022 budget. The objective is to make good progress this weekend, we confided to a good source, even if an agreement on the whole budget seems unlikely.

On the other hand, several ministers want temporary and structural measures to aim to cope with rising energy prices, discussed for the moment in intercabinets, could be announced, one indicated to several sources.
The theme has dominated political news for several weeks.

Several proposals were put on the table by the partners of the majority: extension of the social tariff for energy which ends in principle at the end of the year, as recommended by Energy Minister Tinne Van der Straeten (Groen); granting of an energy check of 100 euros; conversion of the federal energy levy into excise duty so as to have greater flexibility in modulating this levy; made of automatic ratchet which concerns not only the federal part of the energy bill but also that dependent on the Regions.

Ministers must agree on the measure or possibly a combination of measures. One idea seems to dominate: there is no question that the State will benefit from an increase in VAT revenues on energy (around 200-250 million euros) while households were getting poorer to pay their bills. When would the measures take effect? The Minister of Finance, Vincent Van Peteghem (CD&V), spoke of the 1^uh January but for the president of Vooruit, Conner Rousseau, it is necessary to be able act sooner.

Regarding the budget as a whole, two important appointments await the government. the policy speech to the House on October 12 and the submission of a budget draft to the European Commission on October 15. Last Wednesday, the Prime Minister gave members of his government a draft plan, with savings of 2 billion euros.