Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever gave his deadlocked ruling coalition more time to agree a cost-cutting budget on Thursday, staving off fears of an imminent government collapse.

The straight-talking Flemish conservative -- who only became premier in February after seven months of painstaking negotiations -- set a new 50-day deadline to strike a deal.

That came after he had sought to pile pressure on his governing partners by dangling the prospect that he could resign over the failure to agree through 10 billion euros ($11 billion) of savings by 2030.

De Wever -- who earlier insisted he wanted to reach an agreement by Thursday -- said he had told Belgium's King Philippe he now wanted until Christmas to get there.

"I immediately added that this would be the maximum timeframe," De Wev

See Full Page