BRUSSELS - Belgium's King Philippe has extended Bart De Wever's mandate to form a federal government until Dec 20, the Royal Palace announced in a statement on Tuesday, as the country continues to face a protracted political deadlock.

De Wever, leader of the New Flemish Alliance (N-VA), was initially appointed as formateur on July 10. However, he resigned on Aug 22 following major disagreements, including disputes over his proposal to introduce a capital gains tax to boost state revenue. He was reappointed on Sept 2, and this marks the fourth extension of his mandate, underscoring the persistent challenges in forming a federal government.

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Belgium has now been without a federal government for over five months since the legislative elections in June.

De Wever is striving to establish an "Arizona" coalition, involving five parties: his Flemish nationalist N-VA, the liberal Reformist Movement (MR), the Flemish Christian Democrats (CD&V), the Flemish socialist party Vooruit, and the francophone centrist party Les Engages. The coalition's primary goal is to address urgent socio-economic issues, including finalizing the 2025 budget.

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However, internal tensions have hindered progress. De Wever has faced criticism for prioritizing budgetary balance, a stance perceived by many as overly rigid and counterproductive to essential socio-economic reforms.