Belgium 2007–2011 Belgian political crisis
Timeline
See also

The Leterme II Government was the federal government of Belgium from 25 November 2009 to 26 April 2010, and the caretaker government until 6 December 2011. It took office when the Flemish Christian Democrat Yves Leterme (CD&V) was sworn in as Prime Minister.[1] It followed the Van Rompuy I Government which ended when Herman Van Rompuy became the first President of the European Council. It comprised five parties: the Dutch-speaking Christian Democratic and Flemish (CD&V), the Dutch-speaking Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats (Open VLD), the French-speaking liberal Reformist Movement (MR), the French-speaking Socialist Party (PS) and the French-speaking Humanist Democratic Centre (CDH).

Composition

The Leterme II Government originally comprised 15 ministers, seven secretaries of state, and a government commissary.[2]

Minister Name Party
Prime Minister Yves Leterme CD&V
Deputy Prime Minister – Finance and Institutional Reforms Didier Reynders MR
Deputy Prime Minister – Social Affairs and Public Health Laurette Onkelinx PS
Deputy Prime Minister – Budget Guy Vanhengel Open VLD
Deputy Prime Minister – Foreign Affairs and Institutional Reforms Steven Vanackere CD&V
Deputy Prime Minister – Employment and Equal Opportunities Joëlle Milquet CDH
Interior Annemie Turtelboom Open VLD
Self-employed, Agriculture and Scientific Policy Sabine Laruelle MR
Justice Stefaan De Clerck CD&V
Defence Pieter De Crem CD&V
Pensions and Big cities Michel Daerden PS
Development Cooperation and European Affairs Olivier Chastel MR
Climate and Energy Paul Magnette PS
Enterprise and Simplification Vincent Van Quickenborne Open VLD
the Civil Service and Public Companies Inge Vervotte CD&V
Secretary of State Name Party
Mobility (Prime Minister) Etienne Schouppe CD&V
Coordination of the Fight against Fraud (Justice) Carl Devlies CD&V
Finance (Finance) Bernard Clerfayt MR
Fight against Poverty (Social Affairs and Public Health) Jean-Marc Delizée PS
Disabled Persons (Social Affairs and Public Health) Philippe Courard PS
Budget (Budget) Melchior Wathelet Jr. CDH

Changes in composition

On 14 February 2011, Charles Michel resigned as minister of Development Cooperation to become Chairman of the MR. He was replaced as minister in the Leterme II caretaker government by secretary of state for European Affairs Olivier Chastel, who became minister of Development Cooperation and European Affairs. Chastel was not replaced as secretary of state.

Crisis

From the start of the Leterme I Government, the problem of the electoral district of Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde caused problems between the coalition partners. The Constitutional Court of Belgium had judged in 2003 that the rules applying to the electoral district violated the non-discrimination principle. When no solution was found, the Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats quit the coalition.[3] Leterme offered his resignation to King Albert II of Belgium on 22 April 2010. On 26 April 2010, after a final round of consultations by Didier Reynders failed, the king accepted the resignation.[4][5][6][7] New elections were held on 13 June 2010. As of 26 April 2010 the Leterme II government became a caretaker government until it was succeeded by the Di Rupo I Government.

References

  1. ↑ "Leterme Returns as Belgian Leader After 2008 Failure". Bloomberg. 2009-11-25. Retrieved 2010-04-27.
  2. ↑ "Samenstelling en bevoegdheidsverdeling van de federale regeringsleden" (in Dutch). Belgium.be. Retrieved 27 April 2010.
  3. ↑ Traynor, Ian (26 April 2010). "Belgium's five-party coalition government collapses". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 April 2010.
  4. ↑ Eeckhout, Bart (2010-04-26). "Hoop op ultiem akkoord over B-H-V sijpelt weg". De Morgen (in Dutch). p. 1. Retrieved 2010-04-30.
  5. ↑ Samyn, Steven (2010-04-27). "België op weg naar verkiezingsavontuur". De Standaard (in Dutch). p. 1. Retrieved 2010-04-30.
  6. ↑ "Belgium's king accepts Yves Leterme's resignation". BBC. 26 April 2010. Retrieved 27 April 2010.
  7. ↑ Martens, John (26 April 2010). "Belgium Heads for Elections After Government Collapse". Businessweek. Retrieved 27 April 2010.
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