Verhofstadt I Government
Encyclopedia
The Verhofstadt I Government was the federal government
of Belgium
from 12 July 1999 to 12 July 2003.
It was the first government headed by Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt
(VLD
). It consisted of the Flemish Liberals and Democrats
(VLD), the French
-speaking Liberal Reformist Party
(PRL), the Flemish Socialist Party (SP), the French-speaking Socialist Party
(PS), the Flemish green party Agalev
and the French-speaking green party Ecolo
. Because it comprised liberals
, socialists
and greens
it was also known as a "purple-green" coalition.
The Secretary of State for Foreign Trade and the Secretary of State for Development Cooperation were attached to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. The Secretary of State for Energy and Sustainable Development was attached to the Minister of Mobility and Transportation.
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 12 July 1999 to 12 July 2003.
It was the first government headed by Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt
Guy Verhofstadt
Guy Verhofstadt is a Belgian politician who was the 47th Prime Minister of Belgium from 1999 to 2008. He is currently a Member of the European Parliament and leader of the Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe.- Early career :...
(VLD
Flemish Liberals and Democrats
' , commonly known as Open VLD and also simply as the VLD, is a Flemish liberal political party in Belgium, created in 1992 from the former Party for Freedom and Progress and a few other politicians from other parties. The party led the government for three cabinets under Guy Verhofstadt from 1999...
). It consisted of the Flemish Liberals and Democrats
Flemish Liberals and Democrats
' , commonly known as Open VLD and also simply as the VLD, is a Flemish liberal political party in Belgium, created in 1992 from the former Party for Freedom and Progress and a few other politicians from other parties. The party led the government for three cabinets under Guy Verhofstadt from 1999...
(VLD), the French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
-speaking Liberal Reformist Party
Liberal Reformist Party
The Parti Réformateur Libéral was a Belgian liberal party active in Wallonia and Brussels. It grew out of the unitiarian PVV-PLP and has since become part of the Mouvement Réformateur.-PVV-PLP:* Omer Vanaudenhove 1961 - 1968...
(PRL), the Flemish Socialist Party (SP), 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), the Flemish green party Agalev
Green!
Groen! is a Belgian green political party. Green! is the smallest Flemish party with a representation in the federal, regional or European parliament.-Before 1979:...
and the French-speaking green party Ecolo
Ecolo
Ecolo is a French-speaking Belgian green political party in Wallonia, Brussels and the German-speaking Community of Belgium...
. Because it comprised liberals
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
, socialists
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
and greens
Green politics
Green politics is a political ideology that aims for the creation of an ecologically sustainable society rooted in environmentalism, social liberalism, and grassroots democracy...
it was also known as a "purple-green" coalition.
Composition
| Minister | Name | Party |
|---|---|---|
| Prime Minister | Guy Verhofstadt Guy Verhofstadt Guy Verhofstadt is a Belgian politician who was the 47th Prime Minister of Belgium from 1999 to 2008. He is currently a Member of the European Parliament and leader of the Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe.- Early career :... |
VLD |
| Deputy Prime Minister - Employment | 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 |
| Deputy Prime Minister - Foreign Affairs | Louis Michel Louis Michel Louis H. O. Ch. Michel is a Belgian politician. He served in the government of Belgium as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1999 to 2004 and was European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid from 2004 to 2009. Since 2009, he has been a Member of the European Parliament... |
PRL |
| Deputy Prime Minister - Budget, Social Integration and Social Economy | Johan Vande Lanotte Johan Vande Lanotte Johan Cyrille Corneel Vande Lanotte is a Belgian politician. He is a member of the SP.A, and became its party president on 15 October 2005... |
SP |
| Deputy Prime Minister - Mobility and Transportation | Isabelle Durant Isabelle Durant Isabelle A.J. Durant is a Belgian politician, member of the Ecolo party. On 15 September, 2010 Durant supported the new initiative Spinelli Group in the European Parliament, which was founded to reinvigorate the strive for federalisation of the European Union... |
Ecolo |
| Deputy Prime Minister - Consumer Affairs, Public Health and Environment | Magda Aelvoet Magda Aelvoet Magdalena Godelieve Hilda "Magda" Aelvoet is a Belgian, Flemish politician. She is a former president of the Greens in the European Parliament.... |
Agalev |
| Interior | Antoine Duquesne Antoine Duquesne Antoine Duquesne was a Belgian politician and Member of the European Parliament for the French Community of Belgium with the MR/MCC/PRL, Member of the Bureau of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe and sits on the European Parliament's Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home... |
PRL |
| Social Affairs and Pensions | Frank Vandenbroucke | SP |
| Civil Service and Modernisation of the Public Authorities | Luc Van den Bossche Luc Van den Bossche Luc Van den Bossche is a Belgian socialist politician and father of Freya Van den Bossche.He graduated as a Doctor in law at the University of Ghent in 1970. Luc Van den Bossche was a Member of Parliament for a number of years and cabinet member in several federal and regional governments in Belgium... |
SP |
| Defence | André Flahaut André Flahaut André M.J.Gh. Flahaut is a Belgian politician. He was born on 18 August 1955 in Walhain, then in the province of Brabant and now in the province of Walloon Brabant. Flahaut studied political sciences and public administration at the Université Libre de Bruxelles.He joined the Socialist Party in... |
PS |
| Agriculture and Middle Classes | Jaak Gabriëls Jaak Gabriëls Petrus Josephus Jacobus "Jaak" Gabriëls is a Belgian politician and member of the Flemish Liberals and Democrats . He graduated in 1965 at the Catholic University of Leuven as Master of Philosophy and Arts. He started his political career as a Provincial Councillor for Limburg from 1974 to 1977... |
VLD |
| Justice | Marc Verwilghen Marc Verwilghen Marc Ernest Elisabeth Robert Juliette Verwilghen, born 21 September 1952 in Dendermonde, is a Belgian politician.Verwilghen studied law at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel and the University of Ghent and is the holder of an honorary doctorate from Ghent.... |
VLD |
| Finance | 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... |
PRL |
| Telecommunication and Government Enterprises and Participations | Rik Daems Rik Daems Hendrik Jules Joseph "Rik" Daems is a Flemish painter, wine trader and politician. He is a member of the Belgian Chamber of Representatives for the Flemish Liberals and Democrats and member of the city council of Leuven.... |
VLD |
| Economy and Scientific Research | Rudy Demotte Rudy Demotte Rudy W.G. Demotte is a Belgian socialist politician and present Minister-President of Wallonia since 19 July 2007, replacing Elio Di Rupo, one month after an historical defeat of the socialists in the federal election... |
PS |
| Secretary of State | Name | Party |
| Foreign Trade | Pierre Chevalier Pierre Chevalier Pierre Chevalier was a well-known caver and mountaineer from France, with many alpine ascents and cave explorations to his credit. Chevalier is principally known for the exploration of the Dent de Crolles cave system over a twelve-year period , which became the deepest cave in the world... |
VLD |
| Development Cooperation | Eddy Boutmans | Agalev |
| Energy and Sustainable Development | Olivier Deleuze | Ecolo |
The Secretary of State for Foreign Trade and the Secretary of State for Development Cooperation were attached to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. The Secretary of State for Energy and Sustainable Development was attached to the Minister of Mobility and Transportation.
Reshuffles
- 8 April 2000: Rudy DemotteRudy DemotteRudy W.G. Demotte is a Belgian socialist politician and present Minister-President of Wallonia since 19 July 2007, replacing Elio Di Rupo, one month after an historical defeat of the socialists in the federal election...
resigns as Minister of Economy and Scientific Research and is replaced by Charles PicquéCharles PicquéCharles Picqué is a Belgian, French-speaking politician. He is currently serving his second term as Minister-President of the Brussels Capital-Region....
, who also becomes responsible for urban policy. - 11 October 2000: Pierre ChevalierPierre ChevalierPierre Chevalier was a well-known caver and mountaineer from France, with many alpine ascents and cave explorations to his credit. Chevalier is principally known for the exploration of the Dent de Crolles cave system over a twelve-year period , which became the deepest cave in the world...
resigns as Secretary of State for Foreign Trade and is replaced by Annemie Neyts. - 10 July 2001: Jaak GabriëlsJaak GabriëlsPetrus Josephus Jacobus "Jaak" Gabriëls is a Belgian politician and member of the Flemish Liberals and Democrats . He graduated in 1965 at the Catholic University of Leuven as Master of Philosophy and Arts. He started his political career as a Provincial Councillor for Limburg from 1974 to 1977...
resigns as Minister of Agriculture and Middle Classes. Rik DaemsRik DaemsHendrik Jules Joseph "Rik" Daems is a Flemish painter, wine trader and politician. He is a member of the Belgian Chamber of Representatives for the Flemish Liberals and Democrats and member of the city council of Leuven....
is charged with Middle Classes, Annemie Neyts is appointed as Minister attached to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and is charged with Agriculture. - 28 August 2002: Magda AelvoetMagda AelvoetMagdalena Godelieve Hilda "Magda" Aelvoet is a Belgian, Flemish politician. She is a former president of the Greens in the European Parliament....
resigns as Minister of Consumer Affairs, Public Health and Environment and is replaced by Jef TavernierJef TavernierJef Tavernier is a Belgian politican. He was once member of the party Green! .-Career:*24/11/1991 – 12/04/1995: Senator [directly elected]...
. - 5 May 2003: Isabelle DurantIsabelle DurantIsabelle A.J. Durant is a Belgian politician, member of the Ecolo party. On 15 September, 2010 Durant supported the new initiative Spinelli Group in the European Parliament, which was founded to reinvigorate the strive for federalisation of the European Union...
and Olivier Deleuze resign, respectively, as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Mobility and Transportation and as Secretary of State for Energy and Sustainable Development. Laurette OnkelinxLaurette OnkelinxLaurette 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...
is charged with Mobility and Transportation, Yvan YlieffYvan YlieffYvan Ylieff is a Belgian politician of the Francophone Socialist Party.Ylieff was born in Verviers, Liège, to a Bulgarian emigrant family. He graduated in history before engaging in politics. In 1973, he was elected mayor of the municipality of Dison, a post he still holds as of 2010...
(PS) is appointed as Minister attached to the Minister of Scientific Research and Alain Zenner (PRL) is appointed as Secretary of State for Energy and Sustainable Development, attached to the Minister of Finance.