Bert Anciaux
Bert Jozef Herman Vic Anciaux (born 11th September 1959) is a Belgian politician, a founder and former member of Spirit (later known as the Social Liberal Party, or SLP).
Political career
Anciaux served as Minister for Culture, Youth and Sport in the Flemish Government from 2004 until 2009. He was also minister for relations with the Brussels-Capital Region and the Brussels Parliament. Bert first held office as a councillor in the City of Brussels in 1987, and in 1991 became a member of the provincial council of Flemish Brabant. He became chairman of the Volksunie in 1992, serving until 1998. From 1995 to 1999 he sat in the Belgian Senate. Following the 1998 White Marches provoked by the publication of official reports on the Affaire Dutroux, Anciaux founded the think-tank, and later political group, iD21, which aimed to confront the corruption and incompetence which the Dutroux affair had brought to light. In the 1999 Belgian general election, the combined Volksunie-iD21 list gained 8% of the vote, up from around 5% in 1995. Anciaux was elected to the European Parliament. In 2002, Anciaux stepped down as Minister for Culture in the Flemish government. Following the 2003 Federal election, where Anciaux and Spirit ran in a cartel with Socialist Party Different (SP.a), he was appointed Federal Transport Minister. In July 2004, he resigned from this post and returned to his present position as Minister for Culture, Youth and Sport in Flanders. In 2008 he left his party and has expressed the desire to launch a new "Social Project". He then joined the Flemish socialist party SP.a.
Education
Anciaux graduated with a degree in Law from the Free University of Brussels in 1984.
