Belgian Judicial Authorities Conflict with Bart De Wever's Administration

This Time, Magistrates Aren't Shying Away from a Fight

Remember back then when magistrates just grumbled about the state of the judicial system? Well, that's no longer the case. Following a showdown on March 20th in front of the Minister of Justice, Belgian judges and prosecutors have declared all-out war on the federal government, led by Prime Minister Bart De Wever.

The root of this conflict? The pension reform project, a deal struck on February 12th, which the Minister, Jan Jambon, a fellow Neo-Flemish Alliance member of De Wever, aims to implement in full. The decision to slash judicial pensions was "the final straw," as Manuela Cadelli, a judge in Namur, puts it. "We've got principles, but let's face it, there was no other way out."

The reform threatens to reduce pensions by up to 40%, a claim contested by Minister Jambon without offering his own estimate. These cuts are far from their only concern, though. The magistrates are also tackling a persistent lack of staff, shoddy infrastructure, outdated technology, insufficient budgets, and more. It's as if these courts are operating on a skeleton crew, with as much as 40% of the staff missing, and crumbling buildings that wouldn't passed a health inspection.

To make matters worse, experts and translators aren't getting paid on time, and there's a shortage of places in psychiatric services and youth offender shelters. If you're following along, it's safe to say that the system's not exactly operating at peak efficiency.

This unified, forceful pushback from the entire judicial profession is unprecedented. It's happening alongside a flurry of legal developments, like the Belgian Competition Authority intervening in judicial reorganizations. These strains highlight the courts' limited ability to handle complex proceedings amid systemic underfunding, a stark reminder that even specific cases like telecom competition have a ripple effect on the entire system.

While there's no statement from De Wever in the available sources, it's clear that these disputes pose a direct challenge to his coalition government's reform agenda. The Ghent judge who sent all defendants home back in April 2025 is a stark example – he did so explicitly to express his opposition to the pension-related policies and the dysfunction in the judicial system. This isn't just a fight about pensions; it's about the overall health and stability of the justice system itself.

The pension reform, which threatens to reduce judicial pensions by up to 40%, has led the Belgian judges and prosecutors to declare war on the federal government, an act that is unprecedented in the history of the judicial profession.
The judicial system's general news includes not only the pension issue but also a persistent lack of staff, shoddy infrastructure, outdated technology, insufficient budgets, and more, creating a situation where the system operates with as much as 40% of the staff missing and crumbling buildings.
The political implications of this conflict, as part of the policy and legislation, are significant as it poses a direct challenge to Prime Minister Bart De Wever's coalition government's reform agenda, particularly the Neo-Flemish Alliance's policies.
The Flemish Minister of Justice, Jan Jambon, has denounced the magistrates' claims about the proposed pension reform, but the general news shows a war-and-conflicts-like scenario between the federal government and the judicial system, which would undoubtedly have long-lasting repercussions on the economy and society.
The magistrates' resolution to stand up for their rights, including fair pensions and improved working conditions, reflects their commitment to maintaining the integrity of the judicial system and ensures that the general public remains informed about the state of the courts through various general news outlets.