Steven Vanackere

Steven Vanackere
Minister of Finance
In office
6 December 2011  5 March 2013
Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo
Preceded by Didier Reynders
Succeeded by Koen Geens
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 (1964-02-04) 4 February 1964
Wevelgem, Belgium
Political party Christian Democratic and Flemish
Alma mater Catholic University of Leuven
Religion Roman Catholicism
Website Personal site

Steven Vanackere, (Dutch: [ˈst̪eˑvən vɑnˈɑkərə]) born on 4 February 1964 in Wevelgem, Belgium, is a Flemish politician and member of the Christian Democratic and Flemish party (CD&V).[1] He held the portfolios of Deputy Prime Minister of Belgium and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Institutional Reform in the Leterme II government.[2] He is the son of Leo Vanackere, who, following a political career as a Member of the Chamber of Representatives and the Senate of Belgium, became the Provincial Governor of West-Flanders in 1979. His grandfather, Remi Wallays, had also been a senator and had been a former Mayor of Wevelgem.

On 7 January 2014, CD&V designated Steven Vanackere as its third-placed candidate, behind serving MEPs Marianne Thyssen and Ivo Belet, on its list for the European Parliament elections in May 2014.[3] It had been considered unlikely by commentators that he would accept this challenge as initially when it was offered to him in December 2013, he had indicated his disappointment and seemed set to reject it, saying this would probably mark the end of his political career, given the perceived upward struggle facing CD&V in retaining its third seat in the new post-2014-election configuration of the European Parliament, both in view of the fact that Belgium's Flemish parties will have one fewer seat in the new Parliament and the increase in popularity of the New Flemish Alliance (N-VA) since the previous European Parliament elections.[4] In the end, he received 151,000 votes to his name but missed out on a European parliamentary seat and subsequently mentioned on Actua-TV that he would be happy to be coopted as a senator or as a member of the new Flemish government.[5] He ultimately took the former route, swearing the oath as a senator on 10 July 2014.[6] Steven Vanackere lives in Neder-Over-Heembeek Brussels).


Academic career

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.

Professional career

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).

Parliamentary career

Municipal appointments

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.

Ministerial appointments

From 28 June 2007 to 30 December 2008 Vanackere served as Flemish Minister of Welfare, Family and Public Health in the Peeters I government.

From 30 December 2008 to 25 November 2009 Steven Vanackere served as Belgian Federal Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Civil Service, Public Enterprise and Institutional Reform in the Van Rompuy government.

From 25 November 2009 to 6 December 2011 Vanckere was Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Institutional Reform in the Leterme II government.

From 6 December 2011 Vanackere served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Sustainable Development in the Di Rupo government. On 5 March 2013 he resigned from these positions after he was accused of lying to parliament about his knowledge regarding the financial agreements between the Algemeen Christelijk Werknemersverbond and Belfius. He was succeeded as Deputy Prime Minister by Minister of Defence Pieter De Crem and as Minister of Finance by Koen Geens.

References

  1. dinsdag 30 december 2008, 17u44 (2008-12-30). "Vanackere verhuist naar nieuwe regering" (in Dutch). Brusselnieuws.be. Retrieved 2012-01-07.
  2. "Yves Leterme désigné comme nouveau Premier ministre belge" (in French). Fr.cctv.com. 2009-11-26. Retrieved 2012-01-07.
  3. "Flemish lists for European elections". EUROPOLITICS. 2014-01-10. Retrieved 2014-01-11.
  4. "Steven Vanackere gaat toch voor Europees Parlement" (in Dutch). de redactie.be (VRT). 2014-01-06. Retrieved 2014-01-11.
  5. "Vanackere wil opgevist worden" (in Dutch). Metro (Belgium - Flemish edition). 2014-06-06. Retrieved 2014-06-09.
  6. "KORT NIEUWS" (in Dutch). Metro Summertime (Belgium - Flemish edition). 2014-07-11. Retrieved 2014-07-22.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Steven Vanackere.
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
2011–2013
Succeeded by
Koen Geens
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by
Miguel Ángel Moratinos
President of the Council of the European Union
2010
Succeeded by
János Martonyi
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