List of prime ministers of Belgium
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The prime minister of Belgium (Dutch: Eerste minister van België; French: Premier ministre de Belgique; German: Premierminister von Belgien) or the premier of Belgium is the head of the federal government in the Kingdom of Belgium.
Although leaders of Government (French: Chefs de Cabinet) had been appointed since the independence of the country, until 1918 the king often presided over the Council of Ministers, so the modern era of the "premiership" started after World War I with Léon Delacroix. The political importance of the king of the Belgians has decreased over time, whereas the position of prime minister has gradually become more important.
Chiefs of government (1831–1918)
[edit]- Political parties
Independent
Catholic Party
Liberal Party
Portrait | Name (Born–Died) |
Election | Term of office | Political Party | Cabinet | Monarch of Belgium (Reign) | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Took office | Left office | Time in office | Name | Composition | ||||||
1 | Étienne Constantin de Gerlache (1785–1871) |
1830 | 27 February 1831 | 10 March 1831 | 11 days | Independent (Confessional) | De Gerlache | – | None (Érasme-Louis as regent of Belgium) | |
2 | Joseph Lebeau (1794–1865) |
— | 10 March 1831 | 24 July 1831 | 136 days | Independent (Liberal) | Lebeau I | – | ||
Leopold I (1831–1865) | ||||||||||
3 | Félix de Muelenaere (1793–1862) |
1831 | 24 July 1831 | 20 October 1832 | 1 year, 88 days | Independent (Confessional) | De Mûelenaere | – | ||
4 | Albert Joseph Goblet d'Alviella (1790–1873) |
1833 | 20 October 1832 | 4 August 1834 | 1 year, 288 days | Independent (Liberal) | Goblet d'Alviella— Rogier |
– | ||
5 | Barthélémy de Theux de Meylandt (1794–1874) |
1835 1837 1839 |
4 August 1834 | 18 April 1840 | 5 years, 258 days | Independent (Confessional) | De Theux de Meylandt I | – | ||
6 | Joseph Lebeau (1794–1865) |
— | 18 April 1840 | 13 April 1841 | 360 days | Independent (Liberal) | Lebeau II | – | ||
7 | Jean-Baptiste Nothomb (1805–1881) |
1841 1843 |
13 April 1841 | 30 July 1845 | 4 years, 108 days | Nothomb | – | |||
8 | Sylvain Van de Weyer (1802–1874) |
1845 | 30 July 1845 | 31 March 1846 | 244 days | Van de Weyer | – | |||
9 | Barthélémy de Theux de Meylandt (1794–1874) |
— | 31 March 1846 | 12 August 1847 | 1 year, 134 days | Independent (Confessional) | De Theux de Meylandt II | – | ||
10 | Charles Rogier (1800–1885) |
1847 1848 1850 |
12 August 1847 | 31 October 1852 | 5 years, 80 days | Liberal Party | Rogier I | Lib. | ||
11 | Henri de Brouckère (1801–1891) |
1852 1854 |
31 October 1852 | 30 March 1855 | 2 years, 150 days | De Brouckère | ||||
12 | Pierre de Decker (1812–1891) |
1855 1856 |
30 March 1855 | 9 November 1857 | 2 years, 224 days | Independent (Confessional) | De Decker | Cath.–Lib. | ||
13 | Charles Rogier (1800–1885) |
1857 1859 1861 1863 1864 1866 1867 |
9 November 1857 | 3 January 1868 | 10 years, 55 days | Liberal Party | Rogier II | Lib. | ||
Leopold II (1865–1909) | ||||||||||
14 | Walthère Frère-Orban (1812–1896) |
1868 | 3 January 1868 | 2 July 1870 | 2 years, 180 days | Frère-Orban I | ||||
15 | Jules d'Anethan (1803–1888) |
Jun.1870 Aug.1870 |
2 July 1870 | 7 December 1871 | 1 year, 158 days | Catholic Party | D'Anethan | Cath. | ||
16 | Barthélémy de Theux de Meylandt (1794–1874) |
1872 1874 |
7 December 1871 | 21 August 1874 (died in office) |
2 years, 257 days | Malou I | ||||
17 | Jules Malou (1810–1886) |
1876 | 21 August 1874 | 19 June 1878 | 3 years, 302 days | |||||
18 | Walthère Frère-Orban (1812–1891) |
1878 1880 1882 |
19 June 1878 | 16 June 1884 | 5 years, 363 days | Liberal Party | Frère-Orban II | Lib. | ||
19 | Jules Malou (1810–1886) |
1884 | 16 June 1884 | 26 October 1884 | 132 days | Catholic Party | Malou II | Cath. | ||
20 | Auguste Beernaert (1829–1912) |
1886 1888 1890 1892 |
26 October 1884 | 26 March 1894 | 9 years, 151 days | Beernaert | ||||
21 | Jules de Burlet (1844–1897) |
1894 | 26 March 1894 | 25 February 1896 | 1 year, 336 days | De Burlet | ||||
22 | Paul de Smet de Naeyer (1843–1913) |
1896 1898 |
25 February 1896 | 24 January 1899 | 2 years, 333 days | De Smet de Naeyer I | ||||
23 | Jules Vandenpeereboom (1843–1917) |
— | 24 January 1899 | 5 August 1899 | 193 days | Vandenpeereboom | ||||
24 | Paul de Smet de Naeyer (1843–1913) |
1900 1902 1904 1906 |
5 August 1899 | 2 May 1907 | 7 years, 270 days | De Smet de Naeyer II | ||||
25 | Jules de Trooz (1857–1907) |
— | 2 May 1907 | 31 December 1907 (died in office) |
243 days | De Trooz | ||||
26 | Frans Schollaert (1851–1917) |
1908 1910 |
9 January 1908 | 17 June 1911 | 3 years, 159 days | Schollaert | ||||
Albert I (1909–1934) | ||||||||||
27 | Charles de Broqueville (1860–1940) |
1912 1914 |
17 June 1911 | 18 January 1916 | 6 years, 349 days | De Broqueville I (in exile, 1914–1918) | ||||
— | 18 January 1916 | 1 June 1918 | Cath.–Lib.–BWP/POB | |||||||
28 | Gérard Cooreman (1852–1926) |
— | 1 June 1918 | 21 November 1918 | 173 days | Cooreman |
Prime ministers (1918–present)
[edit]- Political parties
- Christian Democrat
Catholic Party
Christian Social Party
Christian Democratic and Flemish
- Liberal
Liberal Party
Flemish Liberals and Democrats
Reformist Movement
- Socialist
Belgian Labour Party
Belgian Socialist Party
Socialist Party
Portrait | Name (Born–Died) |
Election | Term of office | Political Party | Cabinet | Monarch of Belgium (Reign) | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Took office | Left office | Time in office | Name | Composition | ||||||
29 | Léon Delacroix (1867–1929) |
— | 21 November 1918 | 2 December 1919 | 1 year,
365 days |
Catholic Party | Delacroix I | Cath.–Lib.–BWP/POB | Albert I (1909–1934) | |
1919 | 2 December 1919 | 20 November 1920 | Delacroix II | |||||||
30 | Henry Carton de Wiart (1869–1951) |
— | 20 November 1920 | 16 December 1921 | 1 year,
26 days |
Carton de Wiart | ||||
31 | Georges Theunis (1873–1966) |
1921 | 16 December 1921 | 13 May 1925 | 3 years,
148 days |
Theunis I | Cath.–Lib. | |||
32 | Aloys Van de Vyvere (1871–1961) |
1925 | 13 May 1925 | 17 June 1925 | 35 days | Van de Vyvere | Cath. | |||
33 | Prosper Poullet (1868–1937) |
— | 17 June 1925 | 20 May 1926 | 337 days | Poullet— Vandervelde |
Cath.–BWP/POB | |||
34 | Henri Jaspar (1870–1939) |
— | 20 May 1926 | 22 November 1927 | 5 years,
17 days |
Jaspar I | Cath.–Lib.–BWP/POB | |||
1929 | 22 November 1927 | 6 June 1931 | Jaspar II | Cath.–Lib. | ||||||
35 | Jules Renkin (1862–1934) |
— | 6 June 1931 | 22 October 1932 | 1 year,
138 days |
Renkin | ||||
36 | Charles de Broqueville (1860–1940) |
1932 | 22 October 1932 | 20 November 1934 | 2 years,
29 days |
De Broqueville II | ||||
Leopold III (1934–1951) | ||||||||||
37 | Georges Theunis (1873–1966) |
— | 20 November 1934 | 25 March 1935 | 125 days | Theunis II | ||||
38 | Paul van Zeeland (1893–1973) |
— | 25 March 1935 | 13 June 1936 | 2 years,
244 days |
Van Zeeland I | Cath.–Lib.–BWP/POB | |||
1936 | 13 June 1936 | 24 November 1937 | Van Zeeland II | |||||||
39 | Paul-Émile Janson (1873–1944) |
— | 24 November 1937 | 15 May 1938 | 172 days | Liberal Party | Janson | |||
40 | Paul-Henri Spaak (1899–1972) |
— | 15 May 1938 | 22 February 1939 | 283 days | Belgian Labour Party | Spaak I | |||
41 | Hubert Pierlot (1883–1963) |
1939 | 22 February 1939 | 16 April 1939 | 5 years,
356 days |
Catholic Party | Pierlot I | Cath.–Lib.–BSP/PSB | ||
— | 16 April 1939 | 3 September 1939 | Pierlot II | Cath.–Lib. | ||||||
— | 3 September 1939 | 28 May 1940 | Pierlot III | Cath.–Lib.–BSP/PSB | ||||||
— | 28 May 1940 | 27 September 1944 | Pierlot IV (in exile) | |||||||
— | 27 September 1944 | 12 December 1944 | Pierlot V | Cath.–Lib.–BSP/PSB–KPB-PCB | ||||||
— | 12 December 1944 | 12 February 1945 | Pierlot VI | Cath.–Lib.–BSP/PSB | ||||||
42 | Achille Van Acker (1898–1975) |
— | 12 February 1945 | 2 August 1945 | 1 year,
29 days |
Belgian Socialist Party | Van Acker I | BSP/PSB–Cath.–Lib. | ||
2 August 1945 | 13 March 1946 | Van Acker II | BSP/PSB–BDU/UDB–Lib.–KPB-PCB | |||||||
43 | Paul-Henri Spaak (1899–1972) |
1946 | 13 March 1946 | 31 March 1946 | 18 days | Spaak II | BSP/PSB–PSC/CVP | |||
44 | Achille Van Acker (1898–1975) |
— | 31 March 1946 | 3 August 1946 | 125 days | Van Acker III | BSP/PSB–LP/PL–KPB-PCB | |||
45 | Camille Huysmans (1871–1968) |
— | 3 August 1946 | 20 March 1947 | 229 days | Huysmans | ||||
46 | Paul-Henri Spaak (1899–1972) |
— | 20 March 1947 | 27 November 1948 | 2 years,
144 days |
Spaak III | BSP/PSB–PSC/CVP | |||
27 November 1948 | 11 August 1949 | Spaak IV | ||||||||
47 | Gaston Eyskens (1905–1988) |
1949 | 11 August 1949 | 8 June 1950 | 301 days | Christian Social Party | G.Eyskens I | PSC/CVP–LP/PL | ||
48 | Jean Duvieusart (1900–1977) |
1950 | 8 June 1950 | 16 August 1950 | 69 days | Duvieusart | PSC/CVP | |||
49 | Joseph Pholien (1884–1968) |
— | 16 August 1950 | 15 January 1952 | 1 year,
152 days |
Pholien | ||||
Baudouin (1951–1993) | ||||||||||
50 | Jean Van Houtte (1907–1991) |
— | 15 January 1952 | 23 April 1954 | 2 years,
98 days |
Van Houtte | ||||
51 | Achille Van Acker (1898–1975) |
1954 | 23 April 1954 | 26 June 1958 | 4 years,
64 days |
Belgian Socialist Party | Van Acker IV | BSP/PSB–LP/PL | ||
52 | Gaston Eyskens (1905–1988) |
1958 | 26 June 1958 | 6 November 1958 | 2 years, 303 days | Christian Social Party | G.Eyskens II | PSC/CVP | ||
— | 6 November 1958 | 3 September 1960 | G.Eyskens III | PSC/CVP–LP/PL | ||||||
— | 3 September 1960 | 25 April 1961 | G.Eyskens IV | |||||||
53 | Théo Lefèvre (1914–1973) |
1961 | 25 April 1961 | 28 July 1965 | 4 years,
94 days |
Lefèvre | PSC/CVP–BSP/PSB | |||
54 | Pierre Harmel (1911–2009) |
1965 | 28 July 1965 | 19 March 1966 | 234 days | Harmel | ||||
55 | Paul Vanden Boeynants (1919–2001) |
— | 19 March 1966 | 17 July 1968 | 2 years,
120 days |
Vanden Boeynants I | PSC/CVP–PVV/PLP | |||
56 | Gaston Eyskens (1905–1988) |
1968 | 17 July 1968 | 20 January 1972 | 4 years,
193 days |
Christian People's Party (CVP) | G.Eyskens V | CVP/PSC–BSP/PSB | ||
1971 | 20 January 1972 | 26 January 1973 | G.Eyskens VI | |||||||
57 | Edmond Leburton (1915–1997) |
— | 26 January 1973 | 23 October 1973 | 1 year,
89 days |
Belgian Socialist Party | Leburton I | BSP/PSB–CVP/PSC–PVV/PLP | ||
23 October 1973 | 25 April 1974 | Leburton II | BSP/PSB–CVP/PSC | |||||||
58 | Leo Tindemans (1922–2014) |
1974 | 25 April 1974 | 3 June 1977 | 4 years,
178 days |
Christian People's Party (CVP) | Tindemans I | CVP/PSC–PVV/PLP | ||
1977 | 3 June 1977 | 20 October 1978 | Tindemans II | CVP/PSC–SP/PS–VU/FDF | ||||||
59 | Paul Vanden Boeynants (1919–2001) |
— | 20 October 1978 | 3 April 1979 | 165 days | Christian Social Party (PSC) | Vanden Boeynants II | |||
60 | Wilfried Martens (1936–2013) |
1978 | 3 April 1979 | 23 January 1980 | 1 year,
362 days |
Christian People's Party (CVP) | Martens I | |||
— | 23 January 1980 | 18 May 1980 | Martens II | CVP/PSC–SP/PS | ||||||
— | 18 May 1980 | 22 October 1980 | Martens III | CVP/PSC–SP/PS–PVV/PRL | ||||||
— | 22 October 1980 | 31 March 1981 | Martens IV | CVP/PSC–SP/PS | ||||||
61 | Mark Eyskens (born 1933) |
— | 31 March 1981 | 17 December 1981 | 261 days | M.Eyskens | ||||
62 | Wilfried Martens (1936–2013) |
1981 | 17 December 1981 | 28 November 1985 | 10 years, 81 days | Martens V | CVP/PSC-PVV/PRL | |||
1985 | 28 November 1985 | 21 October 1987 | Martens VI | |||||||
1987 | 21 October 1987 | 9 May 1988 | Martens VII | |||||||
— | 9 May 1988 | 29 September 1991 | Martens VIII | CVP/PSC–SP/PS–VU/FDF | ||||||
1991 | 29 September 1991 | 7 March 1992 | Martens IX | CVP/PSC–SP/PS | ||||||
63 | Jean-Luc Dehaene (1940–2014) |
— | 7 March 1992 | 21 May 1995 | 7 years, 127 days | Dehaene I | ||||
Albert II (1993–2013) | ||||||||||
1995 | 21 May 1995 | 12 July 1999 | Dehaene II | |||||||
64 | Guy Verhofstadt (born 1953) |
1999 | 12 July 1999 | 12 July 2003 | 8 years, 252 days | Flemish Liberals and Democrats (VLD) | Verhofstadt I | VLD/PRL–SP.A/PS–Agalev/Ecolo | ||
2003 | 12 July 2003 | 21 December 2007 | Verhofstadt II | VLD/MR–SP.A/PS | ||||||
2007 | 21 December 2007 | 20 March 2008 | Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats (Open VLD) | Verhofstadt III | Open VLD/MR–CD&V/CDH–PS | |||||
65 | Yves Leterme (born 1960) |
— | 20 March 2008 | 30 December 2008 | 285 days | Christian Democratic and Flemish (CD&V) | Leterme I | CD&V/CDH–PS–Open Vld/MR | ||
66 | Herman Van Rompuy (born 1947) |
— | 30 December 2008 | 25 November 2009 | 330 days | Van Rompuy | CD&V/CDH–Open Vld/MR–PS | |||
67 | Yves Leterme (born 1960) |
— | 25 November 2009 | 6 December 2011 | 2 years, 11 days | Leterme II | ||||
68 | Elio Di Rupo (born 1951) |
2010 | 6 December 2011 | 11 October 2014 | 2 years, 309 days | Socialist Party (PS) | Di Rupo | SP.A/PS–CD&V/CDH–Open Vld/MR | ||
Philippe (2013–present) | ||||||||||
69 | Charles Michel (born 1975) |
2014 | 11 October 2014 | 21 December 2018 | 5 years, 16 days | Reformist Movement (MR) | Michel I | Open Vld/MR–N-VA–CD&V | ||
— | 21 December 2018 | 27 October 2019 | Michel II | Open Vld/MR–CD&V | ||||||
70 | Sophie Wilmès (born 1975) |
— | 27 October 2019 | 17 March 2020 | 340 days | Wilmès I | ||||
2019 | 17 March 2020 | 1 October 2020 | Wilmès II | |||||||
71 | Alexander De Croo (born 1975) |
— | 1 October 2020 | Incumbent | 4 years, 65 days | Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats (Open VLD) | De Croo | Open Vld/MR–SP.A/PS–Groen/Ecolo–CD&V |