| Steven Vanackere | |
|---|---|
| Minister of Finance | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 6 December 2011 |
|
| Prime Minister | Elio Di Rupo |
| Preceded by | Didier Reynders |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
| In office 25 November 2009 – 6 December 2011 |
|
| Prime Minister | Yves Leterme |
| Preceded by | Yves Leterme |
| Succeeded by | Didier Reynders |
| Minister of Civil Service, Public Enterprises and Institutional Reforms | |
| In office 30 December 2008 – 25 November 2009 |
|
| Prime Minister | Herman van Rompuy |
| Preceded by | Inge Vervotte |
| Succeeded by | Inge Vervotte |
| Minister for Welfare, Public Health and Family of Flanders | |
| In office 28 June 2007 – 30 December 2008 |
|
| President | Kris Peeters |
| Preceded by | Inge Vervotte |
| Succeeded by | Veerle Heeren |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 4 February 1964 Wevelgem, Belgium |
| Political party | Christian Democratic and Flemish |
| Alma mater | Catholic University of Leuven Free University of Brussels, Dutch |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
| Website | Personal site |
Steven Vanackere, born 4 February 1964 in Wevelgem, Belgium, is a Flemish politician, member of the Christian Democratic and Flemish Party (CD&V).[1] He holds the portfolios of Deputy Prime Minister of Belgium and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Institutional Reform in the Leterme II Government.[2] Steven Vanackere lives in Neder-Over-Heembeek (Brussels).
He is the son of Leo Vanackere, who, following a political career as a Mamber of the Chamber of Representatives and the Senate of Belgium, became Provincial Governor of West-Flanders in 1979. His grandfather, Remi Wallays, had also been a Senator and had been a former Mayor of Wevelgem.
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Steven Vanackere received his secondary education at the Sint-Albertuscollege in Haasrode, run by the Carmelite Friars, where he studied Latin-Mathematics. He graduated as Master of Laws from the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in 1987 and obtained his Master’s of Economic Sciences at the same university, one year later. In 1985, Steven Vanackere passed the (Bachelor’s) degree in political science. During the academic year of 1986-1987, he served as President of the Law Students’ Association and the Vlaams Rechtsgenootschap (Flemish Law Society) in Leuven.
He began his professional career with the Kredietbank (KBC) in 1987 but went on to join CEPESS, the Research Centre of the then Christian Democratic Party, CVP – PSC, in 1988, where he became Political Advisor to CVP Chairman Herman Van Rompuy. In 1991, he was appointed Deputy Head of Staff to Jos Chabert, Minister of the Brussels-Capital Region, before becoming the Minister’s Head of Staff, a post he held from 1995 to 1999. He served as Director-General of the Port of Brussels from 1993 until 2000 and as Deputy Director-General of the MIVB, the Brussels Public Transport Company, from 2000 to 2005.
In 2005, Steven Vanackere and Cathy Berx, then Members of the Flemish parliament, co-authored the book “Vergrijzing en Verkleuring [Aging and Changing Racial Mix]” by former Minister-President of Flanders, Yves Leterme (Editor-in-chief Mark Van de Voorde), published by the Davidsfonds in 2005, to which he contributed on the issue of ‘aging’.
He formed part of the CD&V’s Political Executive and, together with former Members of the Chamber of Representatives, Herman Van Rompuy and Greta D’hondt, and with Koen Van den Heuvel, Member of the Flemish Parliament, he wrote the CD&V’s “Sociaal-Economisch Alternatief [Socio-Economic Alternative]” as a counterpoise to the “Generatiepact [Generation Pact]” of the federal purple government – Verhofstadt II (coalition of Socialist and Liberal parties).
13 June 2004 – 28 June 2007: Became Member of the Flemish Parliament for the electoral district of Brussels.
Since 7 June 2009: Elected to the Brussels’ Parliament, but will be replaced by Brigitte de Pauw as a result of his ministerial responsibilities.
Since 10 October 2006: Member of Brussels-City Council
1 December 2006 – 28 June 2007: Alderman of Brussels-City Council, responsible for economy and trade, the port, the procurement office and Flemish affairs. Following his ministerial appointment he has become an 'unavoidably detained' Alderman.
28 June 2007 – 30 December 2009: Flemish Minister of Welfare, Family and Public Health in the Peeters-I government.
30 December 2008 – 25 November 2009: Federal Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Civil Service, Public Enterprise and Institutional Reform in the Van Rompuy government.
Since 25 November 2009: Deputy Prime Minister of Belgium, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Institutional Reform in the Leterme-II government.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Inge Vervotte |
Minister for Welfare, Public Health and Family of Flanders 2007–2008 |
Succeeded by Veerle Heeren |
| Minister of Civil Service, Public Enterprises and Institutional Reforms 2008–2009 |
Succeeded by Inge Vervotte |
|
| Preceded by Yves Leterme |
Minister of Foreign Affairs 2009–2011 |
Succeeded by Didier Reynders |
| Preceded by Didier Reynders |
Minister of Finance 2011–present |
Incumbent |
| Diplomatic posts | ||
| Preceded by Miguel Ángel Moratinos |
President of the Council of the European Union 2010 |
Succeeded by János Martonyi |