Yves Leterme
Yves Leterme was born in Wervik on October 6, 1960. He remained actively involved with the CVP-Youth (in the national office and as national vice-chairman), and with the CVP of Ypres, where he became chairman in 1988. Yves Leterme took a pragmatic course onto increasing the economic dynamic and social well-being in Flanders. He has made the Flemish government into the ‘investment government’, focusing the investments on the infrastructure and logistics with respect to both the business climate and social well-being (notably Flanders Port Area, homes for the elderly, child care, immigrant integration). Additionally, Yves Leterme’s government implemented rigorous budgeting – his government started with a sizeable implicit debt in Flanders which has been reduced to zero as the result of his policies. In the elections of 2007, Yves Leterme received 796,521 personal votes, leading his party to a landslide victory. This was the second highest amount of personal votes ever in Belgium’s national elections.
Education[edit]
Yves Leterme studied Humanities Latin-Greek in Sint-Vincentius College Ypres from 1973 to 1979. In 1981, he earned his Bachelor of Science in Law in Kulak. Two years later, he received a Bachelor of Science in Political Science in Rug. Within the same university he completed a Master of Science in Law (1984) and a Master of Science in Public Administration (1985). In 1984, he earned his Diploma from the Centre for International Federalism Studies (1984).
Professional Career[edit]
In 1985, Yves Leterme started to work as an assistant to the Parliamentarian Paul Beryne. In 1986, he was appointed to advisor at the cabinet of the regional Minister Paul Deperz. After, he became CVP Secretary in the Ypres District till 1987. From 1987 to 1989, Yves Leterme was elected Deputy Auditory at the Belgian Court of Auditors. After, he was elected Deputy Secretary of the CVP, a position that he held till 1992. In 1992, he was elected Administrator at the European Union in the European Commission and remained in office till 1997. In 1997, he became MP of the CVP and succeeded P.Breyne. In 2004, he was elected Flemish MP of the CD&V till 2007. Since 2007, he has been Vice-Prime Minister of Belgium and Minister of Budget, Transport, Institutional Reform and the North Sea.
Notable work[edit]
• President, CVP Youth, section Ypres (1983-1986)
• District Secretary, CVP, Ypres district (1985-1987)
• National Officer, CVP Youth (1986-1988)
• National Vice-chairman, CVP Youth (1988-1989)
• District chairman, CVP, Ypres district (1988-1991)
• Municipal Councillor, municipality of Ypres (January 1995 – January 2001)
• Member of the Community Council, municipality of Ypres (February 2001 – present)
• MP, CVP, since June 1997 (successor of P. Breyne)
• Elected MP, CVP, 13 June 1999
• Chairman, CD&V political fraction in the Chamber (January 2001 – May 2003)
• Elected MP, CD&V (May 2003 – July 2004)
• Chairman CD&V (June 2003 – July 2004)
• Flemish MP, CD&V, elected 13 June 2004
• Formateur in order to form a new Flemish government
• Minister-President, Flemish government (July 2004 – June 2007)
• Senator (June 28 - December 2007)
• Formateur in order to form a new federal government (15 July 2007 till 24 august 2007) and (29 September 2007 till 1 December 2007)
• Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Budget, Institutional Reform, and Transport and the Nordsee (12 December 2007 till 19 march 2008)
• Prime Minister (20 march till December 2008)
• Senator (December 2008 till 16 July 2009)
• Minister of Foreign Affairs (17 July 2009 till 25 November 2009)
• Prime Minister (25 November 2009 - Present)
Further information[edit]
