Leterme I Government
Encyclopedia
The Leterme I Government was the federal government
of Belgium
from 20 March 2008 to 22 December 2008. It took office when the Flemish Christian democrat Yves Leterme
(CD&V
) was sworn in as Prime Minister. It followed the Belgian general election of 2007 and comprised five parties: the Dutch-speaking Christian Democratic and Flemish
(CD&V), the Dutch-speaking Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats (Open VLD), the French-speaking liberal Reformist Movement
(MR), the French-speaking Socialist Party
(PS) and the French-speaking Humanist Democratic Centre
(CDH).
The government received the confidence of the Chamber of Representatives on 22 March 2008, with 97 votes in favour, 48 against, and one abstaining.
It was succeeded by a government
led by CD&V member Herman Van Rompuy
on 30 December 2008.
electoral district failed, and the deadline of 15 July 2008 neared without the hope of a result, Leterme
offered the resignation of his cabinet to the king
. After a series of consultations, King Albert II
decided to reject Prime Minister Leterme
's resignation on 17 July. The royal palace said that the King had asked two senior French-speaking politicians, François-Xavier de Donnéa
(MR
) and Raymond Langendries
(CDH
), and the Minister-President of the German-speaking Community
, Karl-Heinz Lambertz
(SP
), to establish how to start talks about institutional reform. They were expected to report back to the king by the end of the month. However, on 31 July 2008, they reported that they needed more time for the negotiations.
On 19 December 2008, Yves Leterme
offered the resignation of his government to King Albert after a crisis surrounding the sale of Fortis to BNP Paribas
erupted. Leterme
, Jo Vandeurzen
, and Didier Reynders
were accused of violating the separation of powers by trying to influence the Court of Appeals and of exerting improper influence by the First Chairman of the Court of Cassation
. Three days later the resignation was accepted by the king.
Belgian federal government
The Cabinet of Belgium is the executive branch of the Belgian federal government, consisting of ministers and secretaries of state drawn from the political parties which form the governing coalition. Formally, the ministers are appointed by the King...
of Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
from 20 March 2008 to 22 December 2008. It took office when the Flemish Christian democrat Yves Leterme
Yves Leterme
Yves Camille Désiré Leterme is a Flemish Belgian politician, a leader of the Christian Democratic and Flemish party , and the 48th Prime Minister of Belgium.Leterme was the Prime Minister of Belgium from March 2008 to December 2008...
(CD&V
Christian Democratic and Flemish
The Christian Democratic and Flemish is a political party of Belgium, formerly called Christian People's Party...
) was sworn in as Prime Minister. It followed the Belgian general election of 2007 and comprised five parties: the Dutch-speaking Christian Democratic and Flemish
Christian Democratic and Flemish
The Christian Democratic and Flemish is a political party of Belgium, formerly called Christian People's Party...
(CD&V), the Dutch-speaking Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats (Open VLD), the French-speaking liberal Reformist Movement
Reformist Movement
The Reformist Movement is a French-speaking liberal political party in Belgium. The party was in coalition as part of the Leterme II Government, and was also part of the governing coalition in the Walloon Region and Brussels-Capital Region until the 2004 regional elections...
(MR), the French-speaking Socialist Party
Socialist Party (francophone Belgium)
The Socialist Party is a Francophone social-democratic political party in Belgium. As of the 2010 elections, it is the second largest party in the Belgian Chamber of Representatives and the largest Francophone party...
(PS) and the French-speaking Humanist Democratic Centre
Humanist Democratic Centre
The Humanist Democratic Centre is a Francophone Christian democratic political party in Belgium. The cdH currently participates in the Government of the Brussels-Capital Region, the Government of the French Community and the Walloon Government.- History :...
(CDH).
The government received the confidence of the Chamber of Representatives on 22 March 2008, with 97 votes in favour, 48 against, and one abstaining.
It was succeeded by a government
Van Rompuy I Government
The Van Rompuy I Government was the federal government of Belgium from 30 December 2008 until 15 November 2009. Herman Van Rompuy was nominated as the first President of the European Council and resigned shortly after as Premier...
led by CD&V member Herman Van Rompuy
Herman Van Rompuy
Herman Achille Van Rompuy is the first long-term and full-time President of the European Council...
on 30 December 2008.
Composition
The Leterme I Government comprised 15 ministers and seven secretaries of state. Its final composition was as follows:| Minister | Name | Party |
|---|---|---|
| Prime Minister | Yves Leterme Yves Leterme Yves Camille Désiré Leterme is a Flemish Belgian politician, a leader of the Christian Democratic and Flemish party , and the 48th Prime Minister of Belgium.Leterme was the Prime Minister of Belgium from March 2008 to December 2008... |
CD&V Christian Democratic and Flemish The Christian Democratic and Flemish is a political party of Belgium, formerly called Christian People's Party... |
| Deputy Prime Minister - Finance and Institutional Reforms | Didier Reynders Didier Reynders Didier J.L. Reynders is a Belgian politician and a member of the Mouvement Réformateur . He is Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance and Institutional Reforms in the Van Rompuy I Government, which took office on 30 December 2008.He was born in Liège as the youngest in a family of... |
MR Reformist Movement The Reformist Movement is a French-speaking liberal political party in Belgium. The party was in coalition as part of the Leterme II Government, and was also part of the governing coalition in the Walloon Region and Brussels-Capital Region until the 2004 regional elections... |
| Deputy Prime Minister - Social Affairs and Public Health | Laurette Onkelinx Laurette Onkelinx Laurette A.J. Onkelinx is a Belgian politician from the Francophone Socialist Party. She is the Minister of Social Affairs and Public Health in the Belgian federal government, i.e., the Van Rompuy I Government, which took office on 30 December 2008.-Biography:Born to Gaston Onkelinx and Germaine... |
PS Socialist Party (francophone Belgium) The Socialist Party is a Francophone social-democratic political party in Belgium. As of the 2010 elections, it is the second largest party in the Belgian Chamber of Representatives and the largest Francophone party... |
| Deputy Prime Minister - Interior | Patrick Dewael Patrick Dewael Patrick Yvonne Hugo Dewael, in Lier, Belgium is a liberal Belgian politician. He is a member of the Flemish Liberals and Democrats, or Vlaamse Liberalen en Democraten . He is the nephew of the late liberal minister Herman Vanderpoorten and the cousin of Marleen Vanderpoorten, who also served as... |
Open VLD |
| Deputy Prime Minister - Justice and Institutional Reforms | Jo Vandeurzen Jo Vandeurzen Johan Maria Gerardus "Jo" Vandeurzen is a Belgian politician, member of Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams , a centrist Flemish Christian Democratic party. He was the Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Justice and Institutional Reforms in the Leterme I Government , which took office on 20... |
CD&V Christian Democratic and Flemish The Christian Democratic and Flemish is a political party of Belgium, formerly called Christian People's Party... |
| Deputy Prime Minister - Employment and Equal Opportunities | Joëlle Milquet Joëlle Milquet Joëlle F.G.M. Milquet is a Belgian politician from the Humanist Democratic Centre .-Education:... |
CDH Humanist Democratic Centre The Humanist Democratic Centre is a Francophone Christian democratic political party in Belgium. The cdH currently participates in the Government of the Brussels-Capital Region, the Government of the French Community and the Walloon Government.- History :... |
| Foreign Affairs | Karel De Gucht Karel De Gucht Karel Lodewijk Georgette Emmerence De Gucht is a Belgian politician who has been the European Commissioner for Trade since 2010... |
Open VLD |
| SMEs, the Self-employed, Agriculture and Science Policy | Sabine Laruelle Sabine Laruelle Sabine Laruelle is a Belgian politician. She was Belgian Minister of Economy, the Self-employed and Agriculture in the Verhofstadt III government inaugurated on 21 December 2007. She is now Minister for SMEs, the Self-employed, Agriculture and Science Policy in the Leterme I Government, which took... |
MR Reformist Movement The Reformist Movement is a French-speaking liberal political party in Belgium. The party was in coalition as part of the Leterme II Government, and was also part of the governing coalition in the Walloon Region and Brussels-Capital Region until the 2004 regional elections... |
| Social Integration, Pensions and Large Cities | Marie Arena Marie Arena Marie Arena is a French-speaking Belgian politician, member of the Francophone Socialist Party . She was the Minister-President of the French Community of Belgium from July 2004 until March 2008. She then became Minister for Social Integration, Pensions and Large Cities in the federal government,... |
PS Socialist Party (francophone Belgium) The Socialist Party is a Francophone social-democratic political party in Belgium. As of the 2010 elections, it is the second largest party in the Belgian Chamber of Representatives and the largest Francophone party... |
| Defence | Pieter De Crem Pieter De Crem Pieter Frans Norbert Jozef Raymond De Crem is a Belgian, Flemish politician and member of Christian Democratic and Flemish . He is the current Minister of Defense in the Belgian federal government. He has been a Member of the Belgian Chamber of Representatives since 1995. He headed the CD&V... |
CD&V Christian Democratic and Flemish The Christian Democratic and Flemish is a political party of Belgium, formerly called Christian People's Party... |
| Climate and Energy | Paul Magnette Paul Magnette Paul Magnette is a Belgian politician for the PS and former political science professor at the Universite Libre de Bruxelles .... |
PS Socialist Party (francophone Belgium) The Socialist Party is a Francophone social-democratic political party in Belgium. As of the 2010 elections, it is the second largest party in the Belgian Chamber of Representatives and the largest Francophone party... |
| Development Cooperation | Charles Michel Charles Michel (Belgian politician) Charles Michel is a Belgian politician, and the son of Louis Michel. As of February 2011, Charles Michel is the Chairman of the francophone liberal party MR.... |
MR Reformist Movement The Reformist Movement is a French-speaking liberal political party in Belgium. The party was in coalition as part of the Leterme II Government, and was also part of the governing coalition in the Walloon Region and Brussels-Capital Region until the 2004 regional elections... |
| Civil Service and Public Enterprises | Inge Vervotte Inge Vervotte Inge Vervotte is a Belgian politician for the Christian Democratic and Flemish party . She was Belgian federal minister for Civil Service and Public Enterprises in the Leterme I Government, which was in office in 2008 from 20 March to 30 December.Born in Bonheiden, she graduated in 1998 at the... |
CD&V Christian Democratic and Flemish The Christian Democratic and Flemish is a political party of Belgium, formerly called Christian People's Party... |
| Enterprise and Simplification | Vincent Van Quickenborne Vincent Van Quickenborne Vincent Paul Marie Van Quickenborne is a Belgian politician, as a member of the Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats party.... |
Open VLD |
| Migration and Asylum Policy | Annemie Turtelboom Annemie Turtelboom Annemie Turtelboom is a Belgian politician and a member of the Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats. She became Belgium's minister of the interior in the Van Rompuy I Government on 17 July 2009 , and retained that office in the Leterme II Government, which took office on 24 November 2009 .Before... |
Open VLD |
| Secretary of State | Name | Party |
| Mobility (Prime Minister) | Etienne Schouppe Etienne Schouppe Etienne Adolf Schouppe is a Belgian politician. He is a member of the Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams party. Before his entry into politics, he was executive manager of the National Railway Company of Belgium. Schouppe was a member of the Belgian Senate from 2003 to 2010 and since 2008 the State... |
CD&V Christian Democratic and Flemish The Christian Democratic and Flemish is a political party of Belgium, formerly called Christian People's Party... |
| Coordination of the Fight against Fraud (Prime Minister) | Carl Devlies | CD&V Christian Democratic and Flemish The Christian Democratic and Flemish is a political party of Belgium, formerly called Christian People's Party... |
| Finance (Finance) | Bernard Clerfayt Bernard Clerfayt Bernard Clerfayt is a Belgian politician. He has been the mayor of Schaerbeek since 2001 and is currently vice-president of the Front Démocratique des Francophones as well as Belgian Secretary of State for Finance.... |
MR Reformist Movement The Reformist Movement is a French-speaking liberal political party in Belgium. The party was in coalition as part of the Leterme II Government, and was also part of the governing coalition in the Walloon Region and Brussels-Capital Region until the 2004 regional elections... |
| Preparation of the European Presidency Presidency of the Council of the European Union The Presidency of the Council of the European Union is the responsibility for the functioning of the Council of the European Union that rotates between the member states of the European Union every six months. The presidency is not a single president but rather the task is undertaken by a national... (Foreign Affairs) |
Olivier Chastel Olivier Chastel Olivier Chastel is a Belgian politician and a member of the Mouvement Réformateur .He graduated as a pharmacist at the Université Libre de Bruxelles in 1987... |
MR Reformist Movement The Reformist Movement is a French-speaking liberal political party in Belgium. The party was in coalition as part of the Leterme II Government, and was also part of the governing coalition in the Walloon Region and Brussels-Capital Region until the 2004 regional elections... |
| Fight against Poverty (Social Integration, Pensions and Large Cities) | Jean-Marc Delizée | PS Socialist Party (francophone Belgium) The Socialist Party is a Francophone social-democratic political party in Belgium. As of the 2010 elections, it is the second largest party in the Belgian Chamber of Representatives and the largest Francophone party... |
| Disabled Persons (Social Affairs and Public Health) | Julie Fernandez-Fernandez | PS Socialist Party (francophone Belgium) The Socialist Party is a Francophone social-democratic political party in Belgium. As of the 2010 elections, it is the second largest party in the Belgian Chamber of Representatives and the largest Francophone party... |
| Budget (Prime Minister) and Family Policy (Employment) | Melchior Wathelet Jr. Melchior Wathelet Jr. Melchior Wathelet is a Belgian politician and member of the Centre démocrate humaniste . His father is Melchior Wathelet... |
CDH Humanist Democratic Centre The Humanist Democratic Centre is a Francophone Christian democratic political party in Belgium. The cdH currently participates in the Government of the Brussels-Capital Region, the Government of the French Community and the Walloon Government.- History :... |
Changes
- On 19 April 2008, Frédéric Laloux (PS) resigned as Secretary of State for the Fight against Poverty after a scandal when it became clear a judicial investigation related to his time as an alderman in NamurNamur (city)Namur is a city and municipality in Wallonia, in southern Belgium. It is both the capital of the province of Namur and of Wallonia....
was being conducted. He was succeeded on 20 April by Jean-Marc Délizée. - On 19 December 2008, Jo VandeurzenJo VandeurzenJohan Maria Gerardus "Jo" Vandeurzen is a Belgian politician, member of Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams , a centrist Flemish Christian Democratic party. He was the Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Justice and Institutional Reforms in the Leterme I Government , which took office on 20...
resigned as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice and Institutional Reforms in the wake of accusations that he and LetermeYves LetermeYves Camille Désiré Leterme is a Flemish Belgian politician, a leader of the Christian Democratic and Flemish party , and the 48th Prime Minister of Belgium.Leterme was the Prime Minister of Belgium from March 2008 to December 2008...
improperly tried to influence the judgement of the Court of Appeals regarding the sale of FortisFortis (finance)Fortis N.V./S.A. was a company active in insurance, banking and investment management. In 2007 it was the 20th largest business in the world by revenue but after encountering severe problems in the financial crisis of 2008, most of the company was sold in parts, with only insurance activities...
. Later that day LetermeYves LetermeYves Camille Désiré Leterme is a Flemish Belgian politician, a leader of the Christian Democratic and Flemish party , and the 48th Prime Minister of Belgium.Leterme was the Prime Minister of Belgium from March 2008 to December 2008...
offered the resignation of his entire government.
Government crises
In the late hours of 14 July 2008, after months of negotiations regarding constitutional reform and the status of the Brussels-Halle-VilvoordeBrussels-Halle-Vilvoorde
Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde is a Belgian electoral and judicial arrondissement in the center of the country, encompassing:* the officially bilingual Brussels-Capital Region, which coincides...
electoral district failed, and the deadline of 15 July 2008 neared without the hope of a result, Leterme
Yves Leterme
Yves Camille Désiré Leterme is a Flemish Belgian politician, a leader of the Christian Democratic and Flemish party , and the 48th Prime Minister of Belgium.Leterme was the Prime Minister of Belgium from March 2008 to December 2008...
offered the resignation of his cabinet to the king
Monarchy of Belgium
Monarchy in Belgium is constitutional and popular in nature. The hereditary monarch, at present Albert II, is the head of state and is officially called King of the Belgians .-Origins:...
. After a series of consultations, King Albert II
Albert II of Belgium
Albert II is the current reigning King of the Belgians, a constitutional monarch. He is a member of the royal house "of Belgium"; formerly this house was named Saxe-Coburg-Gotha...
decided to reject Prime Minister Leterme
Yves Leterme
Yves Camille Désiré Leterme is a Flemish Belgian politician, a leader of the Christian Democratic and Flemish party , and the 48th Prime Minister of Belgium.Leterme was the Prime Minister of Belgium from March 2008 to December 2008...
's resignation on 17 July. The royal palace said that the King had asked two senior French-speaking politicians, François-Xavier de Donnéa
François-Xavier de Donnéa
François Xavier Gustave Marie Joseph Corneille Hubert, Knight de Donnea de Hamoir is a Belgian politician and a former mayor of the City of Brussels and Minister-President of the Brussels-Capital Region....
(MR
Reformist Movement
The Reformist Movement is a French-speaking liberal political party in Belgium. The party was in coalition as part of the Leterme II Government, and was also part of the governing coalition in the Walloon Region and Brussels-Capital Region until the 2004 regional elections...
) and Raymond Langendries
Raymond Langendries
Raymond A. Langendries is a Belgian politician and Member of the European Parliament for the French Community of Belgium with the Centre Démocrate Humaniste, part of the European People's Party and sits on the European Parliament's Committee on Employment and Social Affairs.He is a substitute for...
(CDH
Humanist Democratic Centre
The Humanist Democratic Centre is a Francophone Christian democratic political party in Belgium. The cdH currently participates in the Government of the Brussels-Capital Region, the Government of the French Community and the Walloon Government.- History :...
), and the Minister-President of the German-speaking Community
German-speaking Community of Belgium
The German-speaking Community of Belgium is one of the three federal communities of Belgium. Covering an area of 854 km² within the province of Liège in Wallonia, it includes nine of the eleven municipalities of the so-called East Cantons...
, Karl-Heinz Lambertz
Karl-Heinz Lambertz
Karl-Heinz Lambertz , is a jurist and politician, currently the leader of the Government of the German-speaking Community of Belgium. He is noted for voicing an outspoken demand for his community, numbering about 70,000 around Eupen, to be separated from Wallonia and be recognised as a autonomous...
(SP
Socialist Party (francophone Belgium)
The Socialist Party is a Francophone social-democratic political party in Belgium. As of the 2010 elections, it is the second largest party in the Belgian Chamber of Representatives and the largest Francophone party...
), to establish how to start talks about institutional reform. They were expected to report back to the king by the end of the month. However, on 31 July 2008, they reported that they needed more time for the negotiations.
On 19 December 2008, Yves Leterme
Yves Leterme
Yves Camille Désiré Leterme is a Flemish Belgian politician, a leader of the Christian Democratic and Flemish party , and the 48th Prime Minister of Belgium.Leterme was the Prime Minister of Belgium from March 2008 to December 2008...
offered the resignation of his government to King Albert after a crisis surrounding the sale of Fortis to BNP Paribas
BNP Paribas
BNP Paribas S.A. is a global banking group, headquartered in Paris, with its second global headquarters in London. In October 2010 BNP Paribas was ranked by Bloomberg and Forbes as the largest bank and largest company in the world by assets with over $3.1 trillion. It was formed through the merger...
erupted. Leterme
Yves Leterme
Yves Camille Désiré Leterme is a Flemish Belgian politician, a leader of the Christian Democratic and Flemish party , and the 48th Prime Minister of Belgium.Leterme was the Prime Minister of Belgium from March 2008 to December 2008...
, Jo Vandeurzen
Jo Vandeurzen
Johan Maria Gerardus "Jo" Vandeurzen is a Belgian politician, member of Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams , a centrist Flemish Christian Democratic party. He was the Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Justice and Institutional Reforms in the Leterme I Government , which took office on 20...
, and Didier Reynders
Didier Reynders
Didier J.L. Reynders is a Belgian politician and a member of the Mouvement Réformateur . He is Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance and Institutional Reforms in the Van Rompuy I Government, which took office on 30 December 2008.He was born in Liège as the youngest in a family of...
were accused of violating the separation of powers by trying to influence the Court of Appeals and of exerting improper influence by the First Chairman of the Court of Cassation
Court of Cassation (Belgium)
The Court of Cassation is the main court of last resort in Belgium.It was originally modelled after the French Cour de cassation. Its jurisdiction and powers are similar to those of its French counterpart....
. Three days later the resignation was accepted by the king.